SUDEKI: The Prophet Child
by SheNoob087
Summary: Follow Julia Thorne and her companions as they discover the past of a mysterious castaway, the origin of an ancient enemy and a dark secret that Julia would give her life to protect. Please rate and review
1. Prologue

Prologue

I followed them to the infirmary where Dixon and Dr Smith wheeled the gurney into the E.R. I tried to follow them in, but they forced me outside into the corridor where everyone else was just showing up. I rushed to the large window looking into the room, my eyes wide with shock and panic as Dixon and Smith worked over Julia.

She looked terrible – she was covered in sweat and her face was ashen. I could see shallow breaths forcing her chest to rise and fall. Apart from her breathing, she was almost perfectly motionless; definitely unconscious. Dixon gave her a shot straight into the middle of her chest, and within seconds she jolted awake. Her eyes were wide with the shock and she cried out in pain. I looked behind me at the others, questions in my eyes, hoping one of them had an answer. Sage shook his head at me and nobody said anything – they were all as shocked as I was.

I heard Julia's voice then, and my head whipped back around to the scene before me.

"Dixon," She screamed. "What's happening?!"

Dixon didn't answer her, but I doubt she would have been able to comprehend him if he had, because her back arched then from some unseen pain, her eyes closed, her hands curled into claws grabbing at the sheets and she let out the most blood-chilling scream I have ever heard. But I didn't react the way the others did behind me, gasping and sobbing, I just stared. I could do nothing else. I watched with a blank face as the horrifying scene played out, and I knew for certain that she was dying.


	2. Ancient Awakening

1. Ancient Awakening

_September, 1789; The Second Age of Sudeki_

Akloria – such a vast landscape. Vastly dead. Dead people, dead animals, dead trees, dead grass, dead _dirt_. Dead sun, too. It's been a long time since that big, gorgeous light has shone on this place. No one knows why the sun disappeared, it just went. That's Mother Nature for you, I guess – she's a cruel mistress. And now the land is paying for it. Hasn't seen a fleck of light or colour or life for over half a decade. Can't remember the last time I saw a bird, or a rodent, or even a bug. They couldn't survive in the harsh environment the world became, so they died. The only creatures that survived, unfortunately for us, were the nasty ones. The ones that wanted to kill you and eat your eyes fresh out their sockets.

I love this place – even with all its flaws. It's my home, always has been. Even though I hate almost everything about how it is now, I couldn't see myself anywhere else. Shame about all the evil shit that goes on nowadays, what with most of the army turning against us and all. Can't say I blamed them, though – a lot of people went mad within that first year of no sunlight. Then everything just went downhill from there.

It didn't stop with madness; it turned into blind mayhem when the Aklorian army started blowing up their own property, and people started killing each other in the streets of Cyantine for things as petty as food and weapons. Every person for themselves, until eventually there weren't that many left. Made Akloria quite a dangerous place, and for some reason, there's something about that danger that I find very intoxicating. I guess I'm addicted to it – wouldn't surprise me. Nothing really does once you learn what the world is capable of.

I strolled along, casual but alert, through the woods as I daydreamed away. My two companions, Nico and Dixon, were at my sides, walking with a bit more awareness as I probably should have been. I continued to dwell on the past in my head as we passed silently through the trees.

My daydreaming was interrupted by a sound coming from the other side of the trees. I whirled my head around towards the north-west and held up my right arm to halt Nico and Dixon. I listened closer and heard the distinct sound of growling. I nodded toward the noise and Nico and Dixon reacted instantly, melting into the tree line in unison with me. I kept my arm up and my fist closed, signalling them to wait. We all listened intently for a moment, waiting for a confirmation. Eventually, there was another sound indicating that, even in all this deadness, something was in the clearing just out of these trees, and it was very much alive.

I thought for a moment before I brought my arm down and signalled Dixon forward to check it out. He already had his gun drawn and pointed in front of himself; still crouching, he creeped forward, ahead of me and to the left, being careful not to make too much noise. Slowly, he started leaning around a tree, partially sticking his head out into the clearing. I stared at his face in the moonlight to get his reaction to the scene he was about to witness, so I could respond in time if something wasn't right.

But it wasn't necessary – 'cos as soon as he turned his head around the trunk, a big, red wolf-like creature jumped out at him and nearly took his head off. He yelled out 'Oh, shit' in surprise and dived forwards, just in time to save his head, rolling when he hit the ground. Nico and I immediately charged forward, still crouching. We were stuffed without the element of surprise we still had. As far as this pack was concerned, there was only one of us.

Nico and I both jumped out of the tree line simultaneously and turned to face Dixon and the pack of Wolufs. Hell, it was a big pack. Not the biggest pack I'd ever seen, but big enough to be a challenge for us. I lowered my eyebrows in concentration as the pack turned to face us.

Bring it on.

I lunged forward with my sword, plunging it into the chest of the Woluf nearest to me. The beast gave a great yelp and died almost instantly as I pierced its heart. In the same movement, I wrenched my sword out of the creature and headed for the pack leader – the red Woluf that had attacked Dixon – to give Dixon a hand. He was firing at the Woluf as I approached them, but the bastard wasn't taking a hit. They're tough to kill, those pack leaders. Luckily, I once again had the element of surprise and, using my momentum to carry me forward, beheaded the beast before it had time to turn around and stare into the face of death.

Dixon nodded to me in thanks and I nodded back before proceeding to

attack the remainder of the pack. Nico had the last laugh, as usual, by plunging her oversized blade-claws into the chest of a Woluf that had jumped on her. It gave a cry and fell sideways, breathing heavily. Dixon ended its misery by promptly putting a bullet in its head. Each of us sheathed our various weapons and looked around at each other, assessing the damage. We were all out of breath, but unharmed, as far as I could tell.

I jerked my head at Dixon. "We all good?"

He scoured the area, turning a slow 360°, ears open and hand at his holstered firearm. "Area secure."

I turned to Nico, who was picking a rock or something out of one of the claws on her left foot. "Inventory?"

She stood and fished around in the little bag she had tied to her blade-claw holster on her right leg. She nodded to herself as her eyes rested upon what she was looking for. "The package is secure."

"Good," I looked around at the damage we had caused. They were dead, all nine of the bastards. "Well, that wasn't _so_ hard." I grinned at the other two, and they couldn't help but smirk back.

Nico's expression turned worried, then. "You're bleeding."

I looked down to the point on my left arm that she was studying so intently. It _was_ bleeding. "Oh," I said. "It's just a scratch."

"That's what they all say," She rolled her eyes and strode over to me, taking my arm in her cat-like fingers. "Let me see."

I shook my head and pulled my arm away. "It's nothin'. We don't have time – we have to get the cargo back to the Citadel."

But I should've known Nico wasn't going to have a bar of that – she reached into her little pack again and I sighed when I saw her pull out a bandage. She quickly wrapped it around my wound, knotting it tightly.

I raised my eyebrows at her and held my hands in the air. "You done now, can we go?"

She thumped me on the chest, which didn't hurt, but I don't think she cared. "Yes," She said. "Impatient as always, Kazel Vaughn."

I looked over at Dixon just in time to see him roll his eyes in agreement.

I shook my head. "Move out."

We started heading towards the other side of the clearing and into the tree line. We were in Ashenbark Woods now – dead trees everywhere, not a leaf to be seen. Which was bad news for us in terms of visibility; we would be seen from a mile off. Then again, anyone who didn't know who we were or where we were based by now had been living under a friggin' huge rock for the last half a decade. It still didn't mean that it wasn't a bad thing for us to be seen, a sniper could pick us off before we'd have time to react. I laughed quietly to myself at how ironic that would be; given everything we'd already been through.

'_Almost comical, in a sick way,'_ I thought to myself.

It was when I thought this that the Devil's Belch portal erupted. I jumped back about ten feet and crouched low, the others instinctively mimicking me, eyeing the green glowing beam of light that had shot up into the sky in front of us. If we were visible before, we were lit up like a Christmas tree now. I stared in amazement, my mouth open. I had never seen the portal – or any portal in Akloria for that matter – activated before and it stunned me how spectacular it was. And bloody hell, was it loud! It only lasted about ten seconds before it shut off again and a piercing silence followed.

The three of us crouched there, totally stunned. A moment or two passed before I broke the silence.

"What the hell was that?!" I asked no one in particular.

"I don't know," Nico answered, obviously just as shocked as I was.

Dixon stood upright. "Maybe we should check it out..." He started to head toward the portal.

I stuck my arm out in front of him. "No, no, no!" I said. "I'll go."

I didn't wait for them to protest; I started to walk towards the portal, drawing my sword as I went. I approached the edge of the clearing where the portal lay incredibly cautiously; taking every step as carefully as if I were walking through a field of land mines. I rounded the corner, weapon at the ready and what I saw before the ancient ring of stones stopped me abruptly.

"You better get over here!"

I heard them run over, quickly but cautiously. I started to approach the portal with more purpose and stopped about five metres from the crumpled figure that lay in front of it.

"Oh, Gods," Dixon whispered, stopping short at my right.

Nico walked past the two of us and knelt in front of the person, rolling them over to face her. She gasped when she saw their face. "It's an anthropomorphic girl," She stated, laying her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Is she alive?" I wasn't feeling very optimistic about the possibility.

Nico laid her other hand on the girl's forehead. "Yes," She sounded as relieved as I felt.

Just then, the girl's form started to change, right before our eyes. Nico retracted her hand quickly and leaned away. The girl's body seemed to shape-shift until she was a human that I assumed was her usual form. She was still unconscious.

Nico replaced her hand on the girl's now human shoulder and the girl stirred under her touch. "Can you hear me?" Nico asked her softly.

The girl shifted and her eyes started to open. She looked weary and slightly deranged. She panicked when she saw the scene before her.

"It's alright," Nico soothed her. "We're not going to hurt you."

The girl was staring at Nico, looking kind of bewildered. She looked around herself, at me and Dixon, then back to Nico. "Where am I?" She had a strange accent that I couldn't identify – I hadn't heard one like it before.

"You're in Akloria," Nico replied, adding a motherly tone to her already soft voice.

"Where?" The girl questioned. She definitely wasn't from 'round here.

"Where have you come from?" Nico wasted no time trying to identify this strange shape-shifter.

"Earth," We all gasped quietly. "What?" She looked confused at our reaction.

"_Eîgathèi_," Dixon whispered, possibly to me, but I wasn't really paying attention.

Instead I questioned the girl. "What's your name?"

"Reily Adams."

"Tell me, Reily," Nico regained her attention. "How did you get here?"

"I was..." the girl turned to look behind her, back at the portal. "In Miami." She looked back at Nico. "At a dig site... the markings... Tetsu."

"Tetsu? You know our God?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"He... sent me here," She looked as if she was trying to recall a hazy memory.

"Tetsu sent you here?" Dixon sounded as if he felt the same way I did.

"Yeah. He said I couldn't go home. Said I had to choose."

I was confused. "Choose what?" I asked.

She was silent for a minute then her expression fell. "I dunno."

"That doesn't make sense," I continued. "In order for Tetsu to send you here you had to have been in The Void."

"The what? I don't know what you're talking about. All I remember is darkness."

"Anything else?" Nico seemed willing enough to accept her story.

"'Tis all very hazy."

There was a short pause before Dixon and Nico both looked at me for instructions. "We have to move," I said, using my authoritative voice. "We'll take her back to the Citadel for questioning."

Nico nodded and turned back to the girl. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah."

Nico helped her to her feet, but she looked like she didn't need it. The girl – Reily – gazed at me, studying my face. She probably thought I couldn't see her, 'cos when I glanced in her direction, she turned away. I rolled my eyes internally.

"Dixon," I waved him over. He walked towards me with the same expression of doubt I could feel on my own face. "_Dǽg eyaî raihè, waótechi raîorè_."

"_Raisèô_,"With that, he turned and walked back to Nico, said something to her in _Ônaleüriáek _and then took up his spot behind the two girls.

I put on my authoritative voice once more. "Move out!"

The walk back to Cyantine Citadel would've been boring – like it usually is – were it not for the fact that I could almost _feel_ that mysterious girl's eyes on my back the whole way. It was weird, and very unnerving, taking the boredom right out of the trip. We walked through the abandoned checkpoint and out onto the drawbridge and were attacked, once again, except this time by Arconites, Wyrd Lords and a couple of Scribes.

The girl just about fainted at the sight of the creatures spawning on the Citadel drawbridge. She screamed and retreated several paces, but didn't flee. Nico grabbed her by the arm and practically dragged her to the opposite end of the bridge to the enemies and commanded her to stay there. The girl was already frozen by fear, so she obeyed and we kept the creatures away from her as best we could.

Once we'd dealt with the creatures, we resumed walking through the two gates and the portcullis, across the ruined courtyard, through another gate, across a metal bridge-like balcony overlooking the black ocean, through yet another gate and into the Citadel gardens.

Well, they didn't look very much like gardens these days, just patches of weeds and bare dirt, with a gravel path around the inside perimeter of the massive stone walls that towered above us. Once we were inside the gardens, we headed off to the left on the gravel path and around a bend to stand before the outside of Caprine's Keep, where the Lady herself was already waiting for us.


	3. Unlikely Truths

2. Unlikely Truths

Caprine smiled as she saw us approach and walked forward to greet us. I was always happy to see the old lady, and I smiled back at her.

"My Lady," I nodded my head once in greeting.

"Welcome back," For some reason, Caprine's expression always reminded me of a proud mother whose kid had just won first place at the science fair. "Was the mission successful?"

I nodded. "Target acquired."

"Excellent. Come."

Caprine led us up the stairs behind her and through the huge wooden doors into the main hall of the building we called 'Caprine's Keep'. Nothing had changed since we'd left – the hall was still bare stone with brass candle stands along the walls. I had a short conversation with Caprine in _Ônaleüriáek_ about the _Eîgathèi_, then Caprine continued on to her office while the four of us took Reily down the hall, up the stairs and down another hallway towards the interrogation room. Once we were outside the door, Nico and Dixon ducked to the left to head into the Observation room next door. I told one of the guards to stand watch outside and motioned for Reily to proceed through the door. She slipped through into the room and I followed her, shutting the door behind me.

The room was bare apart from a steel table and two steel chairs facing each other. I headed for the one furthest from the door and sat in it, motioning for Reily to sit in the other. I glanced to my left at the one-way glass wall that I knew Nico and Dixon were behind, and back to Reily. She had a terrified expression on her face and I think she knew someone was behind that wall. I thought I should put her out of her misery.

"Okay," I began, shifting in my seat to get more comfortable. "I'm Kazel, by the way." She half-smiled timidly. "Now, I just want to say that this is not an interrogation – we simply want to ask you some questions."

"Okay." She didn't relax at all. She must have thought I was going to start torturing her at any moment for information she didn't have.

I wasn't as brutal as all that. "First of all, can you state your name and personal details for the record?"

"Reily Adams. Date of birth: twelfth of August 1987. Origin: Rosapenna, Ireland, United Kingdom. Current location... _former_ current location: Miami, Florida, United States of America. Current occupation: Archaeological Linguist. Uh... favourite food—"

"Alright, that's enough, thanks." I cut her off before she got into too much detail and smiled. She returned a sheepish lopsided grin, which I was pleased to see. "Okay, now tell me again, how did you get here, Reily?"

"Well, I was asleep in my hotel room in Florida when my phone went off..."

'_What _is_ that annoying ringing sound?'_ Reily thought to herself.

It had woken her up, which was cause enough for her to be annoyed at it. She pulled the doona over her head and tried to ignore it. The annoying ringing sound was her cell phone, she realised eventually. She didn't feel like talking to anyone, especially not at this hour, even though she didn't know what hour it was.

The annoying ringing sounded as if it were getting louder. Try as she might, she couldn't ignore it, so she stuck her hand out from under the covers and fumbled around on the bedside table for the phone. Eventually finding it, she opened it and put it to her ear.

"Eh... 'ello?" She mumbled.

"_Hello? Reily Adams?"_

"Yeah, what d'you want?"

"_Um, it's Dr. Geoff Daniels from the Archaeological Dig-site Investigation Society. I'm calling about some kind of ancient ring of stones found outside of Miami."_

"And what does ADIS want me for?"

"_Well, there's a text inscribed on the ring that we don't recognise and we were hoping you could come down and help us out."_

"Whereabouts are ya?"

"_About a kilometre west of the highway out of Miami."_

"Ugh. You're lucky I'm already in Miami."

Reily shut her phone with a _click_.

Reily's transport pulled into the dig site, with her staring wide-eyed at the assembly of Archaeologists there. She turned around to her best friend and roommate, Benjamin, in the driver's seat next to her.

Benjamin laughed at her expression. "Always a fan of ancient packages of misfortune," He said, smiling warmly.

Reily smiled back at him. "If I wasn't interested in old things, what makes you think I'd be interested in you?" she retorted and stuck her tongue out childishly.

Benjamin grinned wider. "Good luck."

"Yeah, I'm gonna need it. Thanks for the ride, Ben." Reily opened the door and jumped out of the car, shutting the door behind her.

Reily stood and watched the Jeep drive away before turning her attention to the man walking towards her.

"Reily Adams," The man smiled as he approached her with his right hand outstretched for a handshake. "Geoff Daniels." He shook Reily's hand. "Good to finally meet you."

"You, too," Reily abruptly turned her attention to the ancient ring of stones in question. "And what the hell is this?"

"This is... well we don't know what this is. That's where you come in."

"Right, being the multi-talented decipherer-person that I am."

"Right," Daniels appraised her with a sceptical expression. "How old are you exactly?"

Reily narrowed her eyes. "Why, do I look 'too young' to do this job?"

"No," Daniels amended himself quickly.

"Where's the text?"

Daniels nodded his head towards the eastern-facing side of the ring and stepped aside to allow Reily past. She made her way around as Daniels cleared the other archaeologists out of her way. Reily examined the ring itself more closely; there was an outer ring of irregularly shaped stones surrounding one large stone in the middle. The outer stones were big, black-grey slabs that could have been made of some kind of volcanic rock. The large stone in the centre was green and it was one big convex shape that Reily thought could have been made of glass or even crystal. The structure was quite enormous in its entirety.

'_Curious.'_

She peered at the ring and found the text inscribed in some kind of ancient foreign language on the stone.

"How old _is_ this exactly?" Reily asked, still peering intently at the text.

"We're not sure for certain," Daniels replied. "But the experts who were here earlier said it could be over two thousand years old."

Upon further examination, Reily discovered that the text went right around the perimeter of the ring in the same strange language. She headed for the most distinct part and began reading.

"Anything?" Daniels asked.

Reily held up one finger and mashed her eyebrows together in concentration. She took a moment and read the entire inscription carefully.

"Yeah," She said finally. "It says: _'The Lord Tetsu and his Champions, Kariston, Olivitess, Lebius and Mo, have summoned and protected this ancient portal site so that the Prophet Child may one day find them and the world of Sudeki and bring back hope to those who have none...'_"

Daniels looked perplexed. "What do you suppose that means?"

"I haven't the foggiest."

"So, who or what is 'Tetsu'?"

"There's more," Reily peered harder at the more weathered section and continued reading. "'_... Come now, Prophet Child, and rise up against the power of evil with Tetsu and his followers. Banish all that is malevolent and lead his people to salvation once more!'_"

At that moment, the ring erupted in a great wave of green light, sending a shockwave through the area, knocking over everyone but Reily. A huge beam of light shot up into the sky, swallowing the dig site and blinding the archaeologists. By the time it was all over and Daniels had looked up, Reily was gone.

"... Then everything is pretty blurry. I remember a huge chamber of some sort; it was dark and looked like it went on forever." Reily paused for a moment, looking like she was struggling to remember. "There were five crystal figures standing before me, four of them seemed to resemble an animal of some sort. I can't really remember what was said, except that one of them... the eagle-lookin' one, said that I had a connection with her. And then Tetsu sent me here." She looked back up from staring at the table.

"Hold on I don't understand," I said, leaning forward. "How could you read the language on that portal when you'd never even seen it before?"

Reily ducked her head. "You'll probably think this is crazy, but I have a sort of... gift." I didn't reply, so she continued. "I can read any language ever known to Man and more. But I can't understand its spoken word nor can I speak it myself. I can only read it as if it were plain English."

"That inscription... you read that aloud?"

"Yeah."

"Then the portal activated?"

"Yes?" Her tone made it sound more like a question.

My eyebrows mashed together slightly as I thought about what that meant.

"What's wrong?" Reily's voice rose from stress.

I looked back up at her, then over at the glass wall, then back to Reily again. "Is that all you remember?"

"Yeah, 'fraid so."

I believed her. "_Laólèhi raleú_. Okay. I'm gonna need you to remain here for a moment; I have to consult my fellows."

I rose from my seat then and headed for the door.

"I was wondering..." Reily began suddenly.

I turned and raised my eyebrows questioningly at her.

"Is there any way for me to get home?"

I hesitated before answering. "I don't know."

And with that, I ducked out the door, hung a left and went through the next door into the observation room. Nico and Dixon were waiting with sceptical expressions on their faces.

I raised one eyebrow at them. "So what do we reckon?"

"Well, her story _does_ have a lot of gaps," Dixon said in a tone that matched his expression. "Then again, she claims she doesn't remember, so what are we supposed to think?"

"I'm inclined to believe her story." Nico was staring at Reily intently. "I mean, what reason would she have to lie?"

Dixon and I both turned to her with flat expressions. I could think of about a million reasons why she would lie, and I knew Dixon was thinking the same thing.

"Well, think about it," Nico continued. "She's a kid, she's on her own and you saw what she looked like when she came through the portal."

"_Câlêvînoüruó taheówi_?" I demanded.

"She says that Tetsu sent her here. That has to be true because there is no way she could have known who he was otherwise. I think this may have something to do with divine intervention. I think Tetsu has sent her here for a reason."

"What reason?" Dixon looked unconvinced.

Nico met his eyes. "I don't know. But one does not question the Gods." She turned back to Reily. "She said she saw a dark chamber that went on forever. She could be describing The Void. You said yourself, Vaughn, that's the only way Tetsu could have sent her here. And she said she saw five crystal figures, four of them animals – Tetsu and his champions. How else would she know this?"

"She wouldn't," I agreed.

With one more glance at Reily through the glass, I turned and left the room. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed wearily as I headed back down the hall to the interrogation room. Once there, I opened the door and stuck my head in.

"Come with me."

Reily got up at once and followed me out of the room, down the long hall and the two flights of stairs, back out into the main hall. I turned right and headed for the little door concealing Caprine's office. I knocked lightly on the door twice.

"Come in," I heard Caprine call softly from the other side.

I opened the door and stepped into the room and to the right, allowing space for Reily to enter. I nodded my head sharply in salute to Caprine and she nodded back. Reily stepped into the doorway and looked around herself before resting her gaze on Caprine.

"Miss Adams," Caprine addressed her in a friendly tone. "Allow me to formally introduce myself – I am Lady Caprine, ruler of Cyantine. Come in please."

Reily took another couple of steps into the room and I saw her Adam's apple go up and down as she gulped.

"Now, Miss Adams—" Caprine continued.

"Reily," Reily interjected politely.

Caprine smiled. "Reily. I have reviewed your story and checked our records – there is no record of you anywhere in Akloria. So we have good cause to believe you are not an agent of the enemy. You have been cleared."

Reily let out a relieved sigh. "That's good."

"If you'll excuse our lack of explanation, we have an urgent matter to tend to. Come."

As we followed Caprine out the door, I became lost in my thoughts once more and made an amusing connection.

'_Ha! _Adam's_ Apple,' _I chuckled softly to myself.

Caprine led us cross the main hall and into the room opposite the entrance. It had once been a dining hall but had been converted to a conference room when the war began. Caprine took up her usual seat at the head of the huge oak table that dominated the centre of the room. Nico and Dixon were already in their respective places; Nico on Caprine's right and Dixon to her right, both facing the entrance. I took my place one seat down from Caprine's left and Reily sat to my left, which surprised me, thought it probably shouldn't have as I was the only one who'd had a halfway decent conversation with her since she'd arrived. Nico dug into her thigh bag again and pulled out the object of our little expedition earlier – a small, hi-tech looking recording device.

Caprine eyed it curiously. "Is the message intact?"

"Yes," Nico replied. "The device doesn't appear to have suffered any considerable trauma."

I heard footsteps behind me and turned towards the entrance to see two men entering the room.

"Reily, this is Sage Mathers and Jasonali. Gentlemen, this is Reily Adams." Caprine introduced them.

Jasonali stepped forward to shake Reily's hand. "Heard a bit about you, Reily," He winked at Sage and Reily looked confused, then realised she was missing an inside joke. "Always good to see a friendly face." Reily smiled at him and nodded.

Sage offered his hand to her then. "Reily Adams, Sage Mathers. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Reily shook his hand and I could see her reaction to his slightly lowered skin temperature in contrast to Jason's slightly elevated one. "Uh, likewise."

"These guys are the cream of our crop, so to speak," I explained. "Our resident Werewolf and vampire-human hybrid, respectively."

I didn't have to be a vampire _or_ a Werewolf to hear Reily gulp.

Jasonali laughed his booming laugh. "Don't worry, we're harmless. He's a 'vegetarian'." He jerked his thumb toward his unlikely comrade.

Sage wrinkled his nose slightly at the term. "What he means to say is that I do not harm humans in any way." He explained, smiling warmly.

"Good to know." Reily seemed to relax by about one degree.

Jason and Sage took their usual places at the opposite end of the table to Caprine. Caprine nodded at Nico who fiddled with the device for a moment before the message stored on it activated. A hologram appeared before us, something we were used to, but made Reily gasp and jump slightly in surprise. I would have laughed if I wasn't so fixated on the hologram.

It was a young girl; she had dark brown wavy hair with auburn highlights and bright blue eyes. Her face was dirty and sweaty and she looked distressed. She was lying on the ground in – judging by the scenery – what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. She took a moment to adjust the camera so it was facing straight at her before she spoke in her strong accent.

"_Okay, I've scouted the outer perimeter of the target, and identified its weaknesses. I cannot reveal these as the enemy may be listening in. But we may have more worries than the structure – I can confirm that my cover has been blown and I am being heavily pursued by the enemy."_

We all looked up and exchanged worried glances. The message continued.

"_I am not gonna be able to run from them for long, and am requesting immediate extraction."_

An explosion went off behind her head to the left, quite close – possibly a hand grenade. She put her face down and covered the top of her head with her arms. When the debris had flown past – and in some cases – onto the camera, she lifted her head and continued.

"_I'm roughly two clicks west of the extraction point and heading towards the last reconnaissance mission rendezvou—"_

She was cut off by another explosion and shouts from somewhere to her right, off the screen. They sounded dangerously close.

"_I gotta go!"_

The footage was cut, the device uttered, "End of transmission" in a robotic voice, and the room was silent.

Caprine was two steps ahead. "Kazel, Nico, Cafu, take Jenkins. Travel on horseback and meet her at the rendezvous point."

"Yes, Ma'am!" The three of us replied as we snapped straight into action.

Nico headed upstairs bound for the tech room where our Comms equipment was located, Dixon and I went back out through the Keep entrance into the open air and across the Citadel gardens to the armoury. Reily followed us through and I loaded myself with a bulky-looking handgun and my sword as we walked.

"She's one of yours then, I take it?" Reily said.

"Yes," I replied. "Our best agent."

Reily's eyes widened. "She looks younger than me."

"War demands sacrifice."


	4. Where the Hell's the Cavalry At?

3. Where the Hell's the Cavalry At?

I dived into the bracken just in time for them to start shooting at me. Gods, those bullets were loud. The sound of bullets screaming past your ears, over your head, is something you never get used to. Unfortunately for me, I fell straight into a bloody thorn bush. I hate those things. It clung to my clothes and hair, trapping me in its unforgivable branches. I pulled out my knife and slashed at them wildly. Another bullet whirred so close to me I felt the heat of its passage. For a moment, I thought I had been hit. I put my hand to my face – still in one piece. I could hear the soldiers getting closer to the tree line. I freed myself of the thorns and staggered to my feet, at the same time trying to take off into the bush.

'_Where the hell are they?'_ I thought desperately.

I hoped the others had gotten my message. And I hoped against hope that it hadn't fallen into the enemy's hands or I wasn't going to live out the night. Things weren't looking so hot at the moment. I could hear the soldiers trumping through the trees and undergrowth close behind me. _Too_ close. Once I got clear of the trees, I fired a few pot shots from my rifle back into the trees, then put my head down and literally sprinted for my life. I heard them plunge through the trees and into the clearing. I didn't dare look behind me, just continued to put as much distance between me and them as I could. I heard them drop to their knees and take aim.

'_I'm dead.'_

It was then that I heard the most amazing sound in the world.

"Julia!" Vaughn's voice called to me from across the clearing.

I snapped my head up and saw him and the others riding towards me on horseback. I ran even faster. Vaughn held out his hand for me and I monkey-gripped it, hauling myself on behind him just as the enemy fired. I felt a bullet graze my left leg, but I wasn't worried about that – I was already pulling my rifle back out and turning around on the horse to face them. I cracked off about four shots and hit two of the soldiers before they were out of sight.

"Julia," I smiled as Caprine strode towards me with arms open. I embraced her. "Thank the Gods."

"My Lady," I pulled away to meet her eyes. "I take it you received my message then?" She nodded and gestured to the girl standing behind her, to her right. "This is Reily Adams. She's from Earth – she was sent through the portal by Tetsu."

But I didn't really hear Caprine's words after my gaze had locked with Reily's. I felt my eyes go wide in shock and saw her expression change to confusion in response. I knew who she was immediately – her bright magenta eyes seemed to pulse like a neon sign, flashing what was plainly obvious right at me. I controlled my features before she saw the recognition going on in my head and settled on acting apprehensive. I kept my thoughts to myself as I approached her warily and extended my hand.

"Julia Thorne," I introduced myself, my voice sounding a little too shaky. I cleared my throat quietly and tried again. "Nice to see a new face."

She nodded politely, looking clearly confused and even intimidated by my reaction to her.

I turned back towards Caprine to try and regain my focus. "Come," I addressed the others again. "There is much to discuss."

Caprine led the way through to the conference room. Everyone took their places; I saw the Reily girl sit to Vaughn's left. I wondered why and then decided I didn't care. It felt good to be in my place at Caprine's left again after so long. After all, two weeks in deep cover feels like forever.

Caprine wasted no time now. "You said you identified the structure's weaknesses."

"Yes," I pulled out my map. It had the layout of the Aklorian Stronghold printed on it – a large structure with a lot of different areas. I set it down on the table in front of me. Vaughn leaned over and peered at it. "There is a drain on the west side that leads down into a network of sewerage tunnels," I traced the route with a finger. "They run through almost the whole area of the infrastructure. There is a trap door entrance here"—I gestured to the spot— "up in the eastern tree line. It's unguarded and it would be fairly easy to get in and out undetected."

"We could probably get demolition charges down there," Vaughn said, lifting his gaze from the map.

"There's more," I warned. "First we'd have to sabotage the escape route here so that whoever is in the building at the time will go down with it."

Sage looked at me questioningly. "Are you certain that it is unguarded?"

"When I last checked two days ago, yes. But of course he may have stationed a team there since then."

Sage nodded in agreement.

"We should begin the preparations at once," Jason said.

"I agree," Vaughn nodded.

Reily piped up, bringing back some of my apprehensive disbelief from before. "I'm sorry, but I'm completely lost."

"Kazel," Caprine said. "I think it's time to explain our situation to our guest."

Vaughn nodded and turned to Reily. "This world, Akloria, is a war-torn nation.

Cyantine Citadel and its inhabitants, such as ourselves, have been at war with those of the Aklorian Stronghold – this building" He gestured to the map. "– for going on five years now."

"Why?"

"Daegonn Bristow," Nico stated.

"Who?"

"He is a powerful Lord who was once in league with Cyantine," Dixon explained in his slightly high-pitched, very Cyantinian accent. "But when the darkness came, like many others, he lost his mind."

"Why is it dark here?"

"We don't know for sure," I said, trying to sound indifferent. "There have been a number of different theories. Basically, the light has been leeched from our skies. Like somebody killed the sun."

"So, why did this Daegonn go mad?"

"Once the darkness came," Vaughn said, his voice grave. "Many people lost their humanity. Their sense and reason faded with the sun – with no light to help them, they could no longer see. They rebelled against us. Few now remain loyal."

"What's up with this Daegonn guy, then?"

"He is a powerful sorcerer who was one of the first to turn," I said, hearing my voice go quiet, momentarily distracted by the solemn subject. "He is the leader of the enemy forces. He is sadistic, cold-blooded and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. That's why he's been so successful in eradicating us."

"Why has the war gone on for so long?"

"Because we refuse to give up. We will die before we surrender." Jason was right about that.

"Realistically, we would not have a chance in hell of winning this war. But, think like that, and it's already over." Sage added.

"In short, we need everyone we can get to assist our efforts – hence why some of our agents are so young." Caprine explained. "We've lost too many already, and Daegonn's forces grow stronger every day."

Reily took a moment to absorb what we'd just told her. She seemed to deliberate something. I studied her expression carefully, but couldn't tell what she was thinking. I turned to Sage (his peculiar talent of being able to 'hear' what your mind is thinking was useful at times) but couldn't tell by his expression what he was reading in Reily's thoughts now.

She lifted her head back up and put on a confident expression. "How can I help?"

We all looked at her bug-eyed and kind of shocked. I felt my mouth open and forced it closed again.

"How much do you know about warfare?" Vaughn looked reluctant.

Reily shrugged. "Nothing. But I can't go home... there's no future for me on Earth anyway. And I can't just sit here watching you all risk your lives."

"It's too dangerous," Nico said. "You have no experience."

"Teach me. I'm a fast learner, and I'll work hard. Please, I want to help."

We all looked around at each other with various expressions on our faces. I don't know what my face looked like, but I hoped it wasn't displaying any trace of my shock from earlier, or eventually she was going to have questions for me. Lots of questions that I wouldn't be able to answer, and then wouldn't be able to tell her why I couldn't.

"Could help," Dixon said to Vaughn.

"Yep," Vaughn agreed. He turned to Caprine. "My Lady?"

Caprine thought for a moment, then turned to Reily. "Have you ever used a firearm before?"

Reily smiled widely.

After we left the conference room, I heard Reily follow me out into the main hall. I prayed silently that she didn't want to talk to me so I wouldn't have to act like I had no idea who she was and why she was here. But of course the Gods were not so merciful.

"Excuse me, Agent Thorne?"

I turned to face her, planting the same expression of indifference from before on my face. Not trusting myself enough to respond, I just raised my eyebrows.

"Hi," She continued insignificantly. "Um, listen... you didn't seem too happy about being assigned to my, er, training. I could ask someone else, if you'd prefer..."

I smiled slightly. "It's fine," My voice was level enough. "They're right – you'll learn the most from me."

"With respect, you're quite a bit younger than them."

"You'll come to learn very quickly that age means nothing around here. You are as good as your skills prove you to be."

"Right. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't."

My abruptness was starting to make her uncomfortable, I could see. This was going to be a long several weeks of training for both of us.

"Have Agent Vaughn bring you to the training grounds at 0600 tomorrow."

She nodded in response and I took my leave from her, heading up the stairs behind me. I was about halfway down the upstairs hall when Vaughn opened the Tech Room door and said my name. I jumped about a foot in the air, startled, lost in my thoughts as I was.

"Tetsu, Vaughn, you scared the crap out of me."

"I need to talk to you."

Without further explanation, he grabbed my arm and pulled me into the Tech Room, locking the door after me. We began to speak in hushed tones in case someone was listening.

"If this is about that girl..."

"Before you say the obvious, there's more that you don't know."

"Tell me."

"We encountered her earlier today as she came through the Devil's Belch Portal. I questioned her when we brought her back here and she said she found one of the five Earth portals and _read aloud_ the incantation of the _Dähéolic Taréapih_ and then the portal sucked her in."

"What?"

"From what she described to me, it seems the portal took her straight to The Void where she was met by the _Sáovè_ and by the word of _Aèlgío_ herself, Tetsu sent her here."

"No, that's not possible. You can't mean..."

"Yes. I think she's the one."

My confusion and anger was starting to overwhelm me as I realised he was right. I reigned in my emotions and worked myself into a steady calm before responding.

"We need to speak to Caprine."


	5. A First Time For Everything

4. A First Time for Everything

Reily's eyes widened to the size of Halamby Fruits as I handed her the .303 rifle that had been resting up against the bench. We were in the shooting range, and I was teaching her the basics of handling our various firearms. For a financially troubled organisation, we had quite a collection and all were kept in good condition.

"Ever used one of these before?" I asked.

"Uh, no," Reily took the rifle reluctantly.

"Here. Your magazine's in there." I pointed to the section at the back, near the butt of the rifle.

Reily peered at it. "Four."

"Yup. Okay, your safety's here." I tapped the little lever above the butt. "Don't touch that 'till I tell you." I decided to add that before she did anything that would give us both a trip to the infirmary.

"Okay."

"Now, when you want to load the barrel, you slide this bolt here forward." I gestured to the bolt above the magazine. "You'll hear the round click into the barrel, then you're ready to fire."

"Right."

I had to hand it to her, she was handling this well.

"Okay, hold it up like this," I held up my own .303 against my right shoulder, my right index finger on the trigger, my left hand under the barrel, and aimed at my target. Reily mimicked me, aiming at her own target. "Against your shoulder. That's it. Now, flick your safety down towards you." She did so and I did the same. "Now aim, and fire." I let off my round and hit the target in the chest, then I lowered my rifle to observe Reily.

Reily stared at my target and refocused her attention to her own. She fired and missed widely. By about a mile. "Um..." She looked at me as if to say, 'What did I do wrong?'

After jamming the safety back on, I put my rifle down on the bench and walked up to her. I grabbed the side of her rifle and raised it back up to her shoulder, as she had lowered it. "Concentrate," I ordered. "Block out everything else but you and your target. Don't think about what you're doing, just do it. Never hesitate. Clear your mind... then fire." I stepped back over to my range.

Reily fired off her next round and exclaimed in surprise and disbelief at the fresh hole in the middle of the target's head. "Oh, my God!"

"Well done," I smiled at her, and she beamed back. "You remember how to use the handgun?"

"Yeah."

"Go for it."

Reily picked up the handgun on the bench in front of her, loaded it, flicked the thumb safety off and aimed at her target. I did the same in half the time and grinned to myself.

I heard Reily mutter "Just block out everything else." To herself, then she fired all of her rounds.

I emptied my own magazine and looked over at Reily's target. There were six holes in the target's chest.

I smiled. "Much better. Keep it up."

I heard the door open then and someone stepped in.

"Ladies?"

I didn't notice at the time, but Vaughn told me later, that Reily and I both turned and responded "Mm?" simultaneously; both still with our handguns pointed at our targets.

Vaughn grinned stupidly at this. "We're on."

Reily and I looked at each other, set down our handguns and followed Vaughn out the door.

Standing outside the Citadel walls, our team were preparing themselves for the task that lay ahead. It had taken us a full month to prepare for this attack, but we were finally ready. And, thanks to my instruction, Reily was ready, too. I looked at her sadly now, wishing that I could have saved her from this, but I suppose it was out of my control. I started fiddling with a buckle on my vest and trying to check my magazine at the same time. We all had .222s but we were told they were strictly last option.

Vaughn lifted his head to address the group. "Okay, our target tonight is the Aklorian Stronghold. Our mission is to enter the Stronghold via the sewer system underneath the building and plant demolition charges marked on various locations on your maps. Reily, Sage, Jasonali," They looked at him. "You will accompany us as far as the rendezvous point. You will remain there to guard the escape route and await our return." The three of them nodded.

"The rest of you, I will split you up into groups of two," Vaughn held up two fingers. "Yes, I still count on my fingers. And each group will be assigned a different charge to set. Each of you will set your charges for ten minutes and then get the hell out of there. And try not to blow yourselves up for the love of the Gods. That's it, let's go!"

We made our way up to the rendezvous point, which was set about four miles south from the Stronghold on the mountain path. We left Reily, Sage and Jason there. Typically, Sage and Jason would accompany us to the Stronghold, but this was a covert mission – not exactly Jason's specialty, and Daegonn had vampire thugs of his own who would be able to sense Sage if he were with us.

As we were leaving, Reily grabbed my arm and looked at me meaningfully.

"Be careful."

I nodded and turned to follow the others. Honestly, I was touched by her concern. I'd gotten to know Reily pretty well over the last few weeks, and she was a decent person. I hadn't trusted her at first, but then again I didn't trust anyone. Not even myself.

_Crunch, crunch, crunch._

The sound of your boots on the snow can be oddly comforting at times. The slow monotony gives you something to focus on. I heard the others come to a halt in front of me and I shot my head up. I crouched low and came in behind them. Vaughn was peering at the back entrance to the Stronghold. We were in the southern tree line and there were guards everywhere.

It always intimidated me every time I saw the Stronghold. Its stone walls loomed high above us with towers stretching higher still in the four corners of the outer defensive wall. We were before the drawbridge in the trees close to the Stronghold portal. The Stronghold itself lay before us on the other side of the ravine the drawbridge crossed, dominating the open clearing blanketed with snow. It was certainly the biggest building I'd ever seen. Bigger than the Citadel.

"Looks like your usual night out behind enemy borders." Vaughn said, scouring the area. He turned to me.

"Jules, where's the entrance?"

"Just behind those trees over there." I pointed to the eastern tree line where the ravine was narrower, drawing to a close further to the north-east and the trees met the clearing surrounding the Stronghold.

"Okay, fast and quiet. On me."

We moved quickly through the trees over towards the east. I took my usual place by Vaughn's right. It wasn't an authority thing, even though I was one of the highest-ranking officers present, it was just something I did automatically. I'd always done it.

"Okay, Julia, You take point from here," Vaughn whispered as he dropped back level with me.

I nodded and moved on ahead. Vaughn dropped back to watch the rear of the group, rifle at the ready. I kept heading east, making note of the landmarks I'd stored in my brain earlier and eventually, thank the Gods, found the trap door.

"Over here," I called quietly. I headed over to it, kneeled beside it and began clearing away the snow and bracken. "Dixon?" He snapped his head up. "Can you give me a hand?"

He lumbered over and helped me to lift the old, heavy wood thing and joined me in peering into the darkness below.

"Okay, I'll go first," I said.

"Careful."

I nodded and dropped down into the hole, having no idea how deep it was. I'd guess it was about a metre, because it wasn't long before my feet hit the cold concrete floor below. I crouched down as I landed to better absorb the impact. I stood and listened for a moment, waiting to hear if there was any reaction to the noise before I gave the all-clear. All was quiet.

"Okay, Dixon."

I moved out of the way so he wouldn't land on my head, and stared down the tunnel. It was pitch black. I held my hand up in front of my face, and could barely see it in the dim moonlight streaming in through the trap door. I heard the _thump_ of Dixon's big, clumsy feet landing on the concrete. It echoed... loudly. I swung around and glared at him fiercely. He lit a flare and tossed it on the ground, in the corner. I put a finger to my lips crossly and he mouthed 'sorry' at me.

I turned back and stared down the tunnel again. There was nothing to see except the bare concrete walls and floor and the occasional cobweb. I thought I could see something else at the other end... a dim light maybe. Then Dixon scared the crap out of me by literally breathing down the back of my exposed neck. I jumped in surprise, then twisted around and glared at him so menacingly that he backed away a step.

"Don't do that again!" I growled quietly at him.

"Sorry."

I turned back around as Nico's dainty feet touched the concrete. She came up next to me and gave me a quizzical look. I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head – I didn't have any idea what was down here. I heard Vaughn land surprisingly quietly, followed closely by Jenkins, Haigs, Mulin and Reggie – the four soldiers we had brought with us. I dug into the little backpack I had on that contained the explosive charge I was to set and other equipment (Nico, Jenkins and Reggie had one also). I pulled out a flare, lit it and used it to light the way through the tunnel.

I knew roughly where we were in terms of the Stronghold itself. We were about 200 metres from the East Wing, where the training grounds were. I thought that if we kept going forward that distance, we would need to head in a northerly direction towards the middle of the Stronghold. When I had taken a hundred and thirty-two paces, we came to a split path. I followed my instincts and the vague idea I had of where we were in relation to the Stronghold. I hung a left, and later another slight left, a right and another left, down a long, slight and steady decline.

I was trying to picture the layout of the above structure in my head. At the end of the decline we stepped out into the sewer line. So far so good. A faint light drew my attention to a huge drain in the middle of a depression in the floor, beneath a grate in the ceiling above us. I headed over to it, looked up and could immediately see that we were below the Antechamber – the very heart of the Stronghold. The light was coming from the candles mounted on the walls of the round chamber.

I turned to Vaughn and spoke in a hushed tone, knowing my voice would carry in the space. "Okay," I pulled out my map and gestured to where we were. "We're here – Right in the middle."

Vaughn turned to address the group.

"Okay, gather 'round." They all came over and crowded around us and the map. "All right, Haigs and Jenkins? You guys are here, at the Northern Tower behind the Inner Bailey courtyard. Mulin and Reggie, you guys have got the East Wing. Nico and Dixon, the West Wing. Julia, you're with me, we're gonna cover the South Entrance. Remember, set the charges for ten minutes and take your time – there's no need to rush. Once your timer is away, make a run back down the way we've come. Don't get lost." He put a finger to his right ear so he could hear Reily on the comm-link better. "Sidewinder, do you copy?"

"_Copy, Boy Scout, what's your status?"_ Reily's voice rang loud and clear in my ear piece.

"We are in position and waiting for the all clear from Base."

"_Copy, Boy Scout, you have a go."_ Caprine was back at the Citadel, keeping an eye on things.

Vaughn nodded to himself and dropped his hand. "Move out."

I jogged beside Vaughn in the direction of the South Entrance, while the others headed off towards their targets. As we moved along, I suddenly had this gripping feeling of despair. I felt strangely defeated – like one or more of them weren't going to be coming back.

The force of the sudden emotion stopped me in my tracks.

Vaughn took a second to realise, and another second to turn and come back. "What is it?"

"Nothing," I straightened up. "It's just... this feeling. I don't think we're gonna get away with this."

"Don't talk like that. Be strong. This is just another mission."

I wanted to protest, but we couldn't waste any more time. "Right. Let's go."

We continued jogging until we arrived at the grate beneath the guard tower in the South Entrance. From where we were I could hear the soldiers training in the Outer Bailey courtyard and knew we were in the right place. I pulled my backpack off and got to work straight away. Setting one of those charges wasn't difficult, just fiddly. You had to make sure you got the wire through the tube and connected to the coil without it touching the sides, or it would give you a nasty shock and knock you out for a few seconds. Quite dangerous if you didn't know what you were doing, but they made a hell of a bang.

My point was proven a moment later, just as I was about to start the timer, when there was a sizable explosion from the Northern Tower – we could see the flames through the grate in the ceiling. Vaughn and I both stood up.

Vaughn was confused. "_Láolê taheówi_?"

A moment later, we were hit by a huge shockwave through the tunnels, knocking us both onto our backs. We got back onto our feet as quickly as we could manage.

"That wasn't one of ours..." I said, realisation dawning as I spoke the words.

Vaughn looked at me and shook his head. The shockwave stank of sulphur, which meant it had to be one of theirs. Which meant this was a trap. Suddenly we heard a gruff laugh from behind us. We both swung around to face exactly what we didn't want to see. An older man was smiling smugly down at us, his grin widening in triumph.

"Indeed," He said.

Before we had time to think, we were seized around the arms by soldiers who had emerged from the shadows. I cursed myself for not having seen or heard them earlier. I struggled wildly against their hold and one of them hit me over the back of the head with the butt of his rifle. I saw black spots on my vision.

"Sloane," Vaughn's tone was audibly pissed.

"Take them away," Sloane waved us off. "Lord Bristow can't wait to finally meet you."


	6. There Are Some Sick Bastards Out There

5. There Are Some Sick Bastards Out There

Damn Aklorian soldiers. They always know how to throw you to the ground in such a way that causes as much pain and is as belittling as possible. I thought that to myself when one of them tossed me onto the stone floor of the cell furthest from the door in the prison. My head was already throbbing and now it was even worse. I got up on my knees and gripped my head in attempt to keep my brain from exploding out of my skull. Only then did I notice Nico and Dixon calling frantically from the cells across from me.

"Vaughn! Julia!" Nico's voice was distressed, like a mother bear that'd lost her cubs. "Are you alright?"

Vaughn stood up. "I'm fine. Jules?"

"I'm good," I moaned, still gripping my head. I stood and turned towards them. "What happened with Haigs and Jenkins?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Nico said. "I don't think they made it out."

"What about Mulin and Reggie?" Vaughn was rolling his wrists to get the circulation back, same as me.

"We haven't seen them."

"_Náopepiùh láolê waihê_?" I asked no one in particular.

"They must have known we were coming," Vaughn answered.

"How?" Cafu piped up.

"I don't know."

"What do you think is going to happen to us?" Nico asked.

"If Daegonn wanted us dead, we already would be," I said through clenched teeth. "He wants us to talk."

"Most likely," Vaughn agreed. "The most important thing here is for us to _stay calm_. We cannot be intimidated by them."

Just then, the door opened and in came four soldiers followed by another man I didn't want to see. The party strode down the corridor towards us, smug grins on the faces of the soldiers, a sly smile on the face of the young man who walked between them. He was fair, but his beauty was marred by his tenacity and arrogance and the aura of darkness that shadowed him.

"Sark," Vaughn spat.

Sark scoffed smugly at Vaughn before stopping in front of Dixon's cell. He eyed Dixon sideways and nodded his head at him sharply.

"Him."

The soldiers immediately unlocked Dixon's cell and grabbed him.

Nico hissed viciously at them. "_D'tainé_!"

One of the soldiers smacked her in the forehead with the butt of his rifle. She cried out and Sark told her to shut up. Seeing this made my stomach twist. I hated seeing Nico harmed; she was so strong, but fair in an almost fragile way. I wanted to break that soldier's neck, but kept my mouth shut instead. I didn't want to be noticed. The soldiers took Dixon away and Sark followed them, shutting the door and locking it behind him.

I turned to Nico. "Are you alright?"

She dropped her head and sighed. She took a moment before lifting her head again. "Yes."

It was some time before the soldiers brought Dixon back, and there was little in the way of conversation in between – it was starting. He looked pretty roughed up. They tugged him along by his arms over to his cell.

"Cafu!" Nico called.

The soldiers tossed him into his cell, next to Nico, and he let out a cry of pain when he hit the floor.

"Oh, Gods..." he mumbled and tried to stand.

"Don't. Just stay still." Nico kneeled beside the bars and laid her hand on his head.

"Dixon, what did he want?" I said.

He coughed and looked for a moment like he was going to vomit. He gathered himself again. "He wanted to know who we work for, but I think he already knows and he just wants to mess with us. He wanted to know about the Citadel and Caprine."

"He's trying to break us," Vaughn said. I nodded in agreement. "What did you tell him?"

"Nothing."

"_Láolewî_, Cafu," Nico said softly. "Now just rest."

"Sounds good." Dixon rolled onto his back and lay still, breathing heavily.

I stared at him for a moment. He looked awful – very pale. I mean, more than usual. Due to the fact that we were never exposed to any sunlight, we were all quite pale. We could've passed for hybrid vampires. But Dixon looked white, except for the purple-blue-black patches that were starting to appear all over his skin. He groaned, clutched his gut, rolled onto his side, away from us and dry retched. I looked away. The sound was making me feel even worse than I already did.

It was several minutes before Sark came back down the corridor with his miniature army. This time he didn't look at any of us, instead stopped halfway down and spoke.

"Bring the cat."

Dixon struggled to his feet and leant against the bars. "You..."

"Cafu," Nico gave him a meaningful look.

One of the soldiers went to grab her by the arm and she hissed at him. He recoiled and then grabbed her anyway and she went quietly after that. Nico's screams and shouts of protest could be heard the same as Dixon's. I even heard her swear, which is something you don't hear Nico do too often. In fact I'd only heard her swear once before.

It was years ago, when we were infiltrating the Stronghold to try and rescue one of our captured operatives. As we ran from the Stronghold, Nico got her foot caught in a tree root that was invisible in the snow and fell onto her arm. It smashed into a rock and she yelled out one of the most powerful swear words in her vocabulary. Needless to say, the arm was broken. She had a right to swear; I would've. Although I'd never heard her say 'fuck' before, and she didn't say it now.

"_Laólèhi yaleú_! _Dáusè_!" she yelled instead.

I forgot to mention, the operative we had tried to rescue was executed.

Nico returned, being dragged by the guards, looking as shockingly white as Dixon had, and very beaten. They tossed her into the cell.

I leaned my hands on the bars of my cell. "Nico? Nico are you okay?" As soon as I'd said it, I thought what a stupid question it was.

"Nico?" Dixon said.

Nico coughed once and wheezed. "I'm fine... Don't worry about me."

Sark immediately turned towards the cell next to me and my stomach dropped. "The soldier."

I slammed my hands against the bars of my cell. "Don't you dare—!" I didn't know how to finish the sentence.

"Don't tell him a thing, Vaughn!" Nico called weakly.

Vaughn walked quietly away down the corridor without a backward glance. My heart sank, bile rose in my throat and I dropped to my knees in despair.

'_This is all my fault,'_ I thought.

Hours later, I was pacing back and forth the short distance across my cell before Dixon finally got sick of it.

"Would you please stop?"

"I have a very bad feeling about this."

"You're not the only one." Nico looked like she had gotten some colour back in her face.

"Could we please stay calm?" Dixon didn't sound calm to me. "Vaughn's a big boy, he can look after himself."

The next thing we heard was a yell of pain and a loud profanity from the direction of the interrogation room.

My face was distant. "Really, Dixon?"

Dixon's head dropped and he sighed. I sat back down and put my head in my hands. I was never going to forgive myself for this.

I don't think I fell asleep, but I was in some kind of absentminded stupor when I heard the sound of a cell door unlocking. Then I heard Vaughn's body crash onto the stone floor. I snapped my head up and spun it towards the sound. He was doubled over on the floor with an arm around his ribcage, coughing and spluttering as he tried to breathe through the pain.

"Vaughn!" I shouted. He coughed a few times. I put my hand on his head. "Hey..."

"I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you, girly." I looked up at Sark standing on the other side of the bars. "Lord Bristow has something special in mind for you." He gave me a malicious smile and turned and headed back out the door. I felt instantly sick.

Vaughn groaned and got up on his hands and knees. "Oh... sh-it..." He turned the word into two syllables.

I turned toward him again. "Are you alright?"

"I will be. Don't worry about me, worry about yourself." He groaned again and clutched his head.

"Shh, don't speak... I'll be fine."

Sark was back with his soldiers in a matter of minutes, but this time they stopped outside the door and stood either side of it in lines. When we looked, we saw that they were followed closely by a man whose face made me boil with fury every time I saw it. A man who would seal my fate within the next few hours. Daegonn Bristow sauntered menacingly down the corridor between his company.

"My patience..." The sound of his voice sent a horrible chill down my spine. "... is wearing thin. I grow tired of the endless and useless games you play. For what? Honour? Loyalty? It is wasted. I _will_ break you." He came to a halt in front of my cell. I clenched my fists. "Bring her."

Vaughn fought against the pain he was surely feeling to get onto his feet, using the bars to support himself. "Daegonn!"

"Don't, Vaughn! I'll be fine! Don't worry about me!"

Two of the soldiers came into the cell; one of them grabbed my arm. I yanked it away, cursed at him in _Ônaleüriáek _and walked out of the cell of my own accord. As I was walking away, I heard the others shouting their various phrases of protest.

"Leave her alone, you son of a bitch!" Dixon shouted.

Nico practically growled. "Don't you lay a hand on her!"

"Daegonn!" Vaughn yelled, "If you touch her, I'll kill you!"

I turned my head back to Vaughn and met his eyes for a moment. He looked distressed and I portrayed a look of fearlessness, hoping that he might be somewhat reassured. I turned my head back again and my expression immediately contorted for a moment before I regained control of my facial muscles. If anything, I was fearful. I was terrified. And it occurred to me at that moment that I may never live to see the faces of those three beautiful people again.

As we arrived at the door of the interrogation room, Daegonn told his followers to head to the observation room. He swung the door open, grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me onto the floor of the room. Dirt and other particles on the floor went flying around me with the impact. I groaned and coughed. I got up on my hands and knees and shook my head, which was now pounding with even more intensity than it had been.

"You know," Daegonn began, shutting and locking the door behind him. "Your friends were not the most helpful people."

"Yeah, they're a stubborn bunch." I looked up to face him.

"I'm hoping you will be more cooperative."

"Don't hope too high."

"Oh, but you see, they were lucky... I was not already very severely aggravated when I interrogated them. You could say I saved the best for last."

"How nice for you."

"You're a feisty little thing, aren't you? I can tell by the fire in your eyes. Tell me, how could you have such a deep aversion to me when this is the first time we have met in person?"

"I don't need to see your hideous face or smell your horrid stench in order to despise you."

He raised his eyebrows slightly and smirked. Then he hit me; backhanded me full across the face. The left side of my face smacked into the wall behind me with the force of his strike and I put my hand to my right cheek. It was bleeding. I turned back to him and saw the ring on his right hand; bloody thing had cut my face. But I had a feeling that was going to be the least of my worries.

"Interesting still that you do. I wonder if there isn't more to you than meets the eye." He leaned in close to me. "In fact, you look very familiar..."

He was hitting the nail on the head, though I didn't show it. I didn't know if he knew, but I thought it better not to be the first to mention it. Instead I met his stare, giving nothing away.

He scoffed and grabbed me, pulling me to my feet and shoved me down on the other side of the room. I knew what he was doing – he was trying to break me down so I would have less stamina to resist him.

"Who do you work for?" I had a feeling he'd asked that question a lot.

I said nothing, just stared at him defiantly. He stared back for a moment, then suddenly came across the room and punched me in the face. I sort of yelped, then he kicked me in the stomach and I cried out again and clutched at the pain. He pulled me to my feet and drove me forwards into the wall, pinning my arm behind my back with one hand, his other gripping the back of my neck.

"WHO DO YOU WORK FOR?!" he yelled.

I shut my eyes tight, gritted my teeth and remained silent. He lost his patience fairly quickly. He pulled my head back by my neck and smashed my face into the wall, then proceeded to throw me across the room into the opposite wall. I hit it hard and heard the crack of my ribs breaking. I let out a loud cry of pain, fell to the ground and cried out once more. I whimpered and clutched my abdomen. My nose was broken as well. I felt the pain and the blood trickling down my lips into my already bloody mouth. I got up on my hands and knees again and spat blood away to my right.

"Fuck you, _rahéowîu náise_!"

He came further towards me and kicked me right in the ribs. The force knocked me onto my back. I screamed in pain. Up until that point, I had been trying not to make too much noise to spare the others; but I couldn't hold back now. I was in so much pain. I screamed again.

"I knew you were going to be a problem," he muttered.

He strode to the other side of the room and was about to grab something off a table there that I hadn't seen earlier.

I lifted my head. "Okay."

He turned toward me and raised his eyebrows impatiently.

I fell backwards into a sitting position, my legs sprawled uselessly across the floor. "Get a pen."

He smiled ever so slightly and grabbed a pen and paper from behind him and turned back towards me.

"Write this down," I said, "E-M, E-T-I-B. You got that?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now... reverse it."

He did so, and I could see his expression change from triumphant to furious as he stared at the words 'BITE ME' on the paper. He gave me an infuriated look. I laughed at his expression and dropped my head, snorting in amusement, a little delirious from the pain.

"I got news for you, buddy," I lifted my head again. "I am your worst enemy. I got nothin' to lose."

He walked over to me and stared deep into my eyes. "That's not exactly true..." He trailed off suggestively.

I was still grinning to hide the fact that a cold sweat had just broken out on my skin. Something about how he had said that was seriously menacing. He turned back and grabbed a handgun off the table. I stared him down, trying to hide my fear, knowing that this was the part where the real pain would begin. But instead of shooting me, he hit me across the top of the head with the back of the handgun and I went out cold.

Next thing I knew, I was in a different room – it was dark. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the change in light. I then noticed that I was strapped only by my arms to a steel table. It was cold. I struggled madly against the restraints for a moment before Daegonn walked in. We both attempted to stare each other down. He strode right up to me and leaned in close to my face. The smell of his breath made me want to gag.

"Such a shame that you couldn't be more cooperative, girl. I wouldn't have to do this now."

I kept staring at him while trying not to breathe.

"Last chance..." he whispered.

No way was I going to let him win now. I held my ground. Had I known what was coming, I would've happily thrown myself at a bullet to get out of there, but it was too late now.

"Well..." He put his hand on my arm and brushed down the length of it.

I drew in a staggered breath. There was something so sinister, so wrong, about his tone and the way he moved his hand down my arm. Not only did it make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, it made me feel sick – sick to my core. I really looked into his eyes for the first time, and what I found there destroyed whatever confidence I might've had. It was then that I understood what was coming.

He leaned his head down further to whisper in my ear. "We shall just have to make you see reason..."

I won't describe what happened next.


	7. Old Friends, New Enemies

6. Old Friends, New Enemies

I had noticed the console to the left of the table I was strapped to earlier, but thought nothing of it. That is until it inexplicably saved me from the torture I was enduring – and quite possibly my life as well. It overloaded; something I was not expecting at all. The force of the explosion knocked both me and Daegonn onto the floor. I didn't care how it had happened and I wasn't going to stop to ask anyone, all I focused on was getting out of there.

Daegonn had landed on top of me, so I thrust my knee up into his ribs, then kicked him off. I turned around, still lying on the floor, searching frantically, desperately, for some kind of weapon. I saw a crowbar lying about a metre in front of me. I had seen it leaning up against the console; it must have flown over the table with the force of the explosion.

I started wriggling madly toward it. I was just about to grab it when Daegonn grabbed my legs from behind. I struggled wildly against him, trying to get my feet loose. Eventually I succeeded and kicked him full in the chest. He recoiled and was winded for a moment, and a moment was all I needed.

I grabbed the crowbar, turned and stood up just as Daegonn had staggered to his feet. I bashed him in the chest with the crowbar as hard as I could, letting out a maddened cry of blood lust. He went flying backwards through the door and hit the corridor wall. I ran after him and emerged from the room, crowbar at the ready.

"Julia?" Vaughn's voice sounded to my left.

I turned my head towards him, madness in my eyes. I froze for a split second and my eyes locked with his. His face went instantly white. I recollected myself and threw the crowbar behind me, back into the room, and spat more blood to my right.

"Time to go!" said a strange soldier, whom I didn't have the capacity to recognise. He headed towards me. "Well done," he whispered.

He handed me my equipment and I strapped it all on. Then we all headed off down the corridor, except Vaughn who stopped over Daegonn, knife in hand. I heard him say, "I told you so" and then heard the horrid gurgling sound of him slitting Daegonn's throat. The most valuable lesson I had ever learned in this line of work was that there is no drug like adrenaline. I felt the natural ecstasy coursing through my veins now and used it. I ran on, leading the group. I just wanted to get as far away from him as possible. I just wanted to run from what had happened. Run from it, forget it and never think or speak of it again.

As soon as the Southern Entrance was in sight, the soldiers started firing at us. I looked around and wished I hadn't. There were about half a dozen soldiers pursuing us, closer than I would have liked. I turned back around and made a quick decision. As soon as we were all through the final gate, I stopped dead and drew my knife in my right hand and handgun in my left. Being ambidextrous is definitely a useful trait. Vaughn saw at once what I planned to do.

"Julia!" he called to me.

I turned. "Go!"

He hesitated, then turned and ran back toward the others. I turned back to face the pursuing soldiers. They immediately lined up in a row and raised their rifles to shoot me, as I had suspected they would. I sheathed my knife for a moment, charged up a fireball in my left hand and lobbed it at them to scatter them. It worked – they dived in all different directions to avoid the fiery blaze.

I headed around to my left to a soldier who was lying on the ground. I pulled my knife back out and stabbed him in the gut. He screamed in pain and kicked his foot at my face, which I dodged. I stabbed him again, his blood coated my hand, and he fell limp, his eyes rolling back in his head. I turned to the one next to him who was already on his feet. He fired his rifle at me and got me in my upper left arm; I felt the impact, but not the pain. I shot him right between the eyes at almost point-blank range. Blood spurted from the wound and I turned my head away, but a bit still sprayed onto my face. I turned to the next one and rammed my knife into his back, then wrenched it up into his spine. I saw the bones break through the hole in his body followed by a flood of blood. He was dead before he hit the ground. I used the adrenaline to push me forward, to keep fighting.

I proceeded to take out the rest of them with various bullets holes and gaping stab wounds, painting the snow red with blood and flesh. I felt no mercy, no remorse, no emotion whatsoever. I had been reminded most strongly today that these were evil people who deserved to die. It didn't even occur to me that I had just killed six men twice, maybe even three times my age – four of them with a knife. I felt very cold-blooded that night.

"JULIA!" I heard Nico call out to me desperately.

I turned to her and my eyes widened as I immediately saw my side of the drawbridge lowering steadily. I sheathed my weapons, put my head down and sprinted. Ignoring the ache in my ribs, ignoring the burn in my arm that had now begun to make itself evident, ignoring the sick feeling I had deep in my stomach. I ran like I'd never run before. I sprinted unseeingly towards the others, hearing their shouts of encouragement but not acknowledging them until I was closer to the bridge.

"Run, Julia, come on!" Dixon hollered.

Nico coached me along, "Go, Julia, run!"

"Julia, hurry!" Vaughn begged.

"Come on, kid, you can make it!" Even the other man was cheering me on.

As I felt, and heard, the wood of the drawbridge under my feet, I lifted my head to assess the distance between each side of the bridge. There was a formidable gap forming between them. I ran as hard as I could and approached the break in the bridge.

"Jump!" Vaughn shouted.

I slammed my last step on the bridge and launched myself forward and up with as much velocity as I could. Maybe too much, as I landed on my feet, but awkwardly on my left ankle. I heard a crunching sound. I ended up flying forward and sort of sideways and slamming straight into Vaughn's legs and bowling him over. We both went rolling and sprawled out into the snow. I lay there for a few moments, utterly defeated. I was sobbing and my breathing was out of control. The snow around me was streaked red with my blood. Vaughn got up quickly and came over to me.

"Julia, come on!" He helped me up, but as soon as I was on my feet, I staggered back down onto my hands and knees again and cried out in pain. "Jules, we have to go _now_!"

"Vaughn, I can't!" I half-begged, half-screamed.

He didn't hesitate. He immediately grabbed me around my waist and lifted me up into his arms swiftly. I cried out as he touched my aching ribs, and we were away. We headed off into the thickest part of the surrounding forest, deliberately heading way out from the direction of our rendezvous point so as not to lead the enemy straight to it. We were in for a long detour. And somewhere amongst the familiar monotony of the foliage, I passed out.

I came to sometime later, but I didn't have the energy to open my eyes. Instead I tried to assess the situation with my ears. I could still hear only four sets of footsteps and no voices, so we weren't at the rendezvous point yet. I remained still so as not to attract attention to myself. Then suddenly we stopped.

"Go Blood Gnats!" I heard Vaughn call quietly.

"R-tuffs rule!" came Jasonali's husky reply.

It was our friendlies code exchange for this mission – the names of the competing Cyantine Bladeball teams before the war – signalling that we had arrived at the rendezvous point. Vaughn stepped out of the tree line followed by the others.

"Oh, thank God," Reily said, "Where have you been?" She must have seen me then, because she stopped abruptly.

"Julia," Sage's voice was filled with concerned acknowledgement, but strained from the smell of all the blood. He strode quickly over to us. "What happened?"

"We were ambushed. They knew we were coming," Vaughn replied. "We were hauled in."

"Is she okay?" Jasonali asked.

"I don't know."

I seemed to get enough energy back then to groan. "Vaughn, put me down."

He took me across to a tree on our left and laid me on the ground in front of it, resting my back against it gently. I noticed that his shirt was blotched with my blood. "You okay?"

"No," I gripped my ankle, it ached a bit.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Dixon said, putting his 'Dr Dixon' voice on.

"Yeah, sort of."

"I heard a crack when you landed," Nico said. "It could be broken."

"Maybe." Then other pains made themselves more prominent again. I groaned and grabbed fiercely at my abdomen.

"What is it?" Vaughn sounded distressed.

I tried to catch my thoughts before Sage could hear them, but I was too late – he heard. He snarled aggressively, and his features contorted into an expression so menacing that he actually looked like a frightening vampire.

"_Filthy_ fucking son of a bitch!"

That was, bar none, the most powerful statement I had ever heard him make. _Sage did not swear_, as a general rule of nature. We were all taken aback.

"What is it? What, what?" Jasonali asked him. Sage whispered in his ear too low for the others to hear, but I knew what he was saying – he was telling him what had happened. "_What_?" Jason demanded and turned to me.

I knew his eyes were boring holes into the top of my head, but I couldn't look at him. I couldn't look at anyone. Jasonali checked himself and phased into his wolf form suddenly. Which, I saw out of the corner of my eye, startled Reily. Then he plodded his huge, heavy paws through the snow to stand in front of me, as the others resumed planning our trek back to the Citadel in murmurs.

"Hey, Jase," I mumbled. He growled sympathetically. I looked up to meet his eyes and the question was written all over his furry face. "I'm okay," I assured him, knowing it was a lie.

He wasn't fooled. He nuzzled my hands which were laid uselessly in my lap, then he laid down beside me in the snow. I welcomed the warmth of his shaggy body. I raised my right hand and scratched the top of his head gently – he twitched with pleasure. I knew he loved that. "Thanks, Jason."

He growled with acknowledgement and dipped his head, then laid it gingerly on my right leg.

A solitary tear fell from my right eye onto the fur on the back of his neck. "I'm sorry," He immediately lifted his head up and growled disapprovingly. "No, I do. I... I wasn't—"

Sage came striding over suddenly, kneeled in front of me and held the tops of my arms gently. He stared straight into my eyes – straight into my soul. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he emphasised.

The intensity of Sage's gaze brought everything back. I saw the pain flicker across his face as he saw through my thoughts what had happened.

The strange soldier from before looked at me, his expression grave. "I'm sorry," he said.

I could tell that he knew; that must be why he interfered in the first place. I recognised who he was then, Lieutenant Khoul Lilith – our only remaining double agent inside the Stronghold. I'd read his file; he was a good soldier, as loyal as they come. He was risking everything, his assignment and his life, by helping us.

"I'm sorry," Nico piped up. "But, what is going on?" I looked away to the west and said nothing. "Julia?"

After a short pause, Vaughn spoke. "Julia, what's going on?"

I didn't know what to say. "I—"

_Snap!_

We all heard the unmistakably familiar sound of a stick breaking under someone's foot. Everyone spun around towards the direction it had come from, except Jason who just looked towards it and growled. Then all weapons were unsheathed simultaneously – Vaughn's sword, Nico's blade-claws, Dixon's gun, Reily's rifle, Sage's venomous teeth, Jasonali's real claws. Sage crouched into his attack stance and Jasonali growled deeper, the sound rumbling in his chest, and bared his huge teeth.

Vaughn signalled for Dixon and Nico to approach the vicinity of the sound from either side of him. They moved off and started surrounding one particular tree that could have hidden a person. Next minute a man jumped out from behind it with his hands up and his eyes wide as the moon.

"Lieutenant, wait!"

Vaughn relaxed and stood down. "You scared the shit out of me, Haigs."

"Sorry, sir."

Everyone else stood down as well and Jasonali stood and phased back to his human form.

"Where the hell have you been?" Vaughn questioned.

"Oh, man. Well, when Jenkins and I got there, they had already planted a charge. I didn't see it 'till Jenkins had almost finished setting ours. When I did see it, I yelled at him to run but he wasn't fast enough – he didn't make it out. I'm sorry, sir."

Jenkins was the youngest soldier in the Cyantine Forces and a friend to Vaughn. He had had a promising career ahead of him. I knew the news of his death would shatter Vaughn.

"You did what you could, Haigs," he said, turning his head away.

"Yes, sir," He saw me then – saw me staring menacingly at him. "Agent Thorne?" He looked at me with wide eyes – I must have looked pretty terrible.

I pressed my lips into a tight line. I clenched my fists and, forgetting the pain, stood and strode right up to Haigs, drew my handgun and pointed it straight between his eyes.

"Julia? What are you doing?" Vaughn said.

I was still glaring at Haigs. "_Gâce râtehi raiòlé_."

"Julia!" Nico shouted. For a moment, I didn't know whether she was shouting at me because of my language or because of the gun I was holding to our teammate's head.

"What are you talking about?" Vaughn said.

"Get on your knees," I said to Haigs. He didn't listen. "On your fucking knees!"

He obeyed me then. "Ma'am..."

"Julia, what the hell are you doing?" Vaughn demanded.

"Daegonn spoke to me of an operative inside our team," I spoke with venom in my tone. "Someone we believe we trust."

"And you believe him on that?"

"He was probably messing with your head, Julia." Dixon's voice was level, trying to calm me down.

"If you had been there just before, you wouldn't have said that," I replied; Sage hissed and Jason growled in agreement. I turned back to Vaughn. "Think about it, Vaughn, you saw the size of that explosion. We both felt the shockwave – how could he have survived when Jenkins didn't?"

"This is preposterous!" Haigs said.

"Shut your fucking mouth!"

"Julia..." Vaughn cautioned me.

"You sold us out, didn't you, you son of a bitch?"

"Julia!"

"Answer me!"

"Lieutenant, talk to her please," Haigs said to Vaughn.

In my peripheral vision, I saw Sage catch sight of something. Suddenly, he darted over behind Haigs, grabbed something out of his left hand, which was behind his back, and presented it to us in less than a second.

"Are you convinced now, Vaughn?" he asked, tossing the knife into the trees.

Vaughn instantly became very pissed. "Answer the question, Corporal!"

Haigs knew he was defeated then. "Casualty of the business I'm in." He turned to me. "Just so you know... I know. I know what he did to you." I glared at him furiously. "And I must say... I had a hell of a time watching him do it."

I cocked the gun. "Fuck... you." Then I pulled the trigger.

Haigs' body fell sideways and I stood there, stunned. The silence was so absolute after the noise of the gunshot – no one spoke, no one moved. Then behind me I heard Reily whimper, "Oh, my God" very quietly. I stood there with the gun still raised for a long moment. Eventually, I lowered it and fell to my knees.

Sage, who I hadn't noticed had moved behind me, crouched down and held my shoulders gently. I snapped back to life suddenly and attempted to holster my gun, but I was trembling so badly I wasn't having much success. Sage took it and holstered it for me.

"We have to go," Vaughn said suddenly, breaking the silence. "We can't stay here."

"Yes," Nico agreed.

"Julia?" Sage said.

I turned my head sideways, so he could see my left eye. "Mm?"

"May I?"

I nodded and Sage lifted me into his arms effortlessly – he knew I wouldn't be able to walk all the way back in the state that I was, and my weight was no burden to him. We headed off in the direction of the Citadel. I got a glance at Reily's face as Sage turned and stalked off; she was wide-eyed and pale. I didn't blame her, she had just witnessed me murder one of our own in cold blood. It didn't matter to me, he was a traitor and all traitors must die, and I wasn't gonna leave it up to anyone else.

We headed through the trees and down the path out of the Snowy Mountains. The sound of Sage's steady, but controlled, breathing and the quick rhythm of his heart were like a lullaby. In combination with his sweet, irresistible vampire scent and his warm, husky human smell, it was enough to send me dreaming of the heavens. But I was much too mentally exhausted for dreams now, and I knew that dreams I had from now on would not be pleasant. I think I passed out again somewhere near Ashenbark Woods.


	8. A Secret, A Burden

7. A Secret, a Burden

I opened my eyes slowly and found I was staring at a bare, off-white ceiling. I looked around a bit at the bare off-white walls and off-white desk to my left. It soon occurred to me that I was in the infirmary in the Citadel. My eyes adjusted to the light and my headache instantly came back.

"Oh!" I gripped my head and shut my eyes. My eyebrows mashed together from the pain.

Someone grabbed my hand and replaced it on the mattress.

"Try not to move too much." Dixon's voice sounded to my right. "You collapsed on the way here."

I sighed. "Yeah, I guess I did." I looked down at myself – I had a few bandages here and there. "What's the verdict?"

"Well, your ankle is _not_ broken, just badly sprained. You do have two cracked ribs and a bruised one, though. And your nose is broken and your left index finger is fractured." He looked grave, or serious, I'm not sure which. "You also have a pretty nasty cut on your face, there. How did that happen?"

"Daegonn," I cringed. "He had a ring on."

Dixon nodded. "I thought so. Also, did you realise you had a bullet in your upper left arm?"

"Hm? Yes, I did." I vaguely recalled being shot outside the Stronghold.

"Was it Daegonn?"

Cringe. "No, one of the pursuing soldiers. Point blank."

"I'm amazed you could withstand the pain."

"I had other things on my mind."

"Yes, which brings me to the other thing I was going to ask you."

Uh-oh. I wondered if Sage or Jason, or both, had told him.

"Julia, what happened back there? What did he do to you?"

I was not prepared to discuss this with him; with anyone for that matter. I was silent for a moment.

"Julia?"

"It's nothing. I'm fine," I replied, sounding anything but.

"Julia," Dr. Dixon was back again. "If there is something else I need to know..."

"I'm alright," I said, slightly harshly.

Dixon looked unconvinced, but he left it alone. At least he knew not to get on my bad side.

I held up my left hand and examined my index finger; it was badly swollen and ached like hell. My ribs were worse, though – every time I breathed it was like Daegonn was slamming them into a wall and then kicking them all over again. My ankle hurt a bit, my nose was sore, my face stung and my left arm was burning; but all in all – believe it or not – it wasn't the worst I'd had.

The door opened then and in came the one person I really needed right at that moment.

"Julia."

"Vaughn!"

He rushed over to me and held my arms. "Are you okay?"

I just shook my head and lowered it. He put his hands on either side of my face and lifted my head up again.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He had worried creases on his forehead.

"It's nothing, really," I tried to soothe him. "I'll be okay." I ran my fingers along the creases, trying to somehow smooth them out.

He just looked more grave than Dixon. He mashed his eyebrows together and stared into my eyes. I looked away – I didn't want to meet his gaze for fear of what I would find there.

"Dixon?" Vaughn turned to him, as he wasn't getting an answer from me.

"Physically, she'll be fine," Dixon explained. "But I'm worried about the long-term psychological effects this could have on her."

"Really, I'm fine," I said again, trying to sound stronger.

"That's not for you to say," Dixon stated.

"We'll see about that..." I whispered to myself.

"What?" Vaughn looked at me again.

"Nothing," I racked my brain for a way to get off this subject. "Dixon, when can I go home?"

"Later today, I want to run a few more tests."

I nodded and slumped my head back against the pillow. This was going to be a long day.

Once Dixon finally did release me, Vaughn took me back to my apartment across the gardens. I was totally silent the whole way; I never looked at him, either. As soon as we had entered the apartment and Vaughn had shut the door behind us, he turned around to me.

"Alright," he said, backing me up against the wall, leaning over me. "That's it."

"What?" I looked straight into his eyes.

"I'm dyin' over here, Jules. Gimme a hint or somethin'." He stared straight back at me.

"I don't know what you mean." I took evasive action and ducked under his arm too fast for him to grab me.

"Sure you do." He let me go, but followed me across the room. "Julia, what do you think I'm here for? To annoy the living crap out of ya?"

"Could've fooled me..." I mumbled.

"I heard that. Look... look at me!" He grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him. "Do you wanna tell me what happened at the Stronghold?"

I looked at him sternly. "No, actually, I don't."

I turned then and walked upstairs to my room, shutting the door behind me. I made it halfway across the room, and then it happened – everything came crashing down on me all at once. I felt the weight of the last twenty-four hours, the impact shattering every bone in my body, every fibre of my being. I fell onto my hands and knees and gasped for breath. I clutched my stomach, hugging myself, trying to hold myself together. I hadn't realised I was sobbing uncontrollably; Vaughn came in and rushed over to me. He didn't say anything, just held me until I recovered.

When at last I could move, Vaughn helped me over to the bed and sat us down on it. He continued to hold me, and rocked the two of us gently from side to side. It comforted me greatly to have him there; we had always shared everything with each other. We had known each other for so long now that we trusted each other completely. We never kept secrets from each other, no matter what it was, because we never judged each other. So why should it be any different this time?

"Julia?" he said suddenly.

I'd calmed down by that point. "Yeah?"

"Are you ready to tell me what's wrong?"

I paused. "Yes."

It was two days later that Sage and Jasonali returned. To be honest, I didn't even know they'd left; I was so out of it the week after the Stronghold. Vaughn told me that afternoon, when we were on our way to the Dining Hall for a briefing, that they had gone out to retrieve Subject 620 from The Cardinal.

'Subject 620' was the code name for a very important part of the Citadel's internal network, and 'The Cardinal' was the code name for the Stronghold Covert Observational Office, or SCOO (terrible acronym, I know), in the mountains.

The SCOO was built about two and a half years before, as a means to keep an eye on our enemy. From the SCOO, we were able to spy on the exterior of the Stronghold. It was very useful for keeping an eye on the guards' round changing procedures – as Daegonn changed them every week – and also any new construction that might be happening.

We entered the briefing room, the last ones to arrive, all but the subject in question and its postal boys. We took up our usual places, me feeling more out of place than I had in my whole short life at Cyantine. Reily smiled at me, and I managed a kind of lopsided, half-hearted grin back. Sage and Jasonali came in then, Sage carrying Subject 620. They both nodded at me subtly with knowing expressions, their way of asking me if I was alright. I just stared back at them, my expression empty. They got the message.

Jason headed to the opposite end of the table to Caprine, while Sage walked over to the console in the corner behind Jason. Sage grabbed the big metal thing with one hand and dragged it swiftly over to the left of his place with ease. I saw Vaughn shake his head out of the corner of my eye. I knew what he was thinking: 'Show off.' Sage smiled and shot Vaughn a teasing glance.

"I take it you acquired her then," Caprine stated.

"Yep," Jason replied. "And, as usual, she was a pain in the ass the whole way here."

I looked at Reily and saw the confused and curious expression I expected. Sage hooked up the console to the Citadel network and inserted Subject 620, contained on a memory chip, into a slot on the side of it. And right before our eyes, a small, holographic, semi-transparent figure resembling a woman popped up. She was a kind of blue-purple colour and looked like a bunch of circuits in the shape of a human. There were numbers constantly rushing across her surface.

"I am not a pain in the ass!" she retorted as soon as we could hear her.

Reily made a startled 'oh' sound and jumped about a foot in the air. Jason laughed and Vaughn grinned.

"Nice to see you too, Corlina," Jason replied cheekily.

"Yes, yes, yes, whatever." She always talked too fast, Corlina. I would constantly have to tell her to slow down.

"Corlina is a construct," Vaughn explained to Reily. "She keeps the technological side of this place from falling apart. She also oversees a lot of the surveillance and observation."

"Oh, I see. Like in _Halo_." Reily said.

The others all raised an eyebrow in confusion (except for Nico, because no matter how hard she tried she couldn't raise one eyebrow) and then corrected their expressions, realising it must be an Earth thing.

Corlina looked at Reily then. "Oh, I did not see you there. We have a new recruit. Since when? Why did no one inform me of this?"

"Corlina?" Vaughn said.

"Yes, Kazel?"

"If you shut up for two seconds, we'll explain it to you."

"Oh, well, fire away."

"Her name is Reily Adams. She's from Earth; she stumbled upon us a little over a month ago. She was transported here by Tetsu."

"Tetsu? Why?"

"We don't know, and unfortunately we haven't had time to look into it. She has spent the last month training with us and has offered her assistance in the efforts against the enemy."

"Oh, well, in that case, welcome aboard." She smiled.

Reily smiled back meekly, still taken aback by what was certainly an amazing and impossible thing to her.

"Corlina?"

"Yes, Sage?"

"Perhaps you would like to share with us the information you acquired at the SCOO."

"Oh, yes, of course." Corlina pulled up a hologram of the Stronghold building schematics. "According to what I've observed over the past five weeks, the Stronghold has had a significant increase in its external activities."

"Meaning?" Vaughn raised one eyebrow.

"Namely," She pulled up the file of one of the men from my personal hell the other night, "A Mr Julian Sark has been frequently meeting with Daegonn."

"Yes, we know," Sage mumbled.

"Oh, do you? This is what happens when nobody keeps me informed. Now, would you like me to continue? I'm a very busy perso-construct... thing."

Vaughn was grinning so widely he was in danger of dislocating his own jaw. I must admit, I cracked a smirk myself, if only briefly.

"My apologies, Corlina." Sage bowed his head, grinning also. "Please, continue."

"Thank you. Now, where was I?" Numbers flashed across her surface and she mumbled to herself for a moment.

"Sark?" Dixon prompted after a minute's silence.

"Oh, yes, thank you. Well, I believe the reason Sark has been meeting with Daegonn so regularly might have something to do with your latest adventure at the Stronghold."

I threw my hands up exasperatedly. Hadn't everyone already figured that out?

Corlina noticed and shot me a look. "You have something to add, Julia?"

I shook my head. She had her eyes fixated on me, and I realised that everyone else did too. Tetsu, all I'd done was thrown my hands up. If I'd known it would trigger such a phenomenal reaction, I wouldn't have bothered.

"Would everyone please stop staring at me?" I demanded.

They all looked away quickly, back at Corlina, who seemed to remember she was supposed to be telling us something.

"Right, well I believe that Daegonn has been forwarding more of his power to Sark as of late. I think it has something to do with some sort of construction plans."

"What kind of construction plans?" Vaughn asked.

"Well, namely, a new wing of the Stronghold. It is my understanding," She zoomed in on a sector north of the west wing, "That this new wing is to be controlled completely by Sark."

"So you don't know what it's for?" Caprine asked.

"No, I am afraid not. I was not able to acquire much Intel from the distance which I was placed. Would you like me to pull up the Stronghold's security feed?"

My eyes bulged in my sockets and I almost went into cardiac arrest. I might have objected if Vaughn hadn't beaten me to it.

"Ah, no, I would advise against that!" he said suddenly.

"And why is that, Agent Vaughn?" Corlina looked confused.

"No reason. Well, there is obviously a reason, but just don't pull up the surveillance footage."

Corlina shrugged. "Very well."

Vaughn looked at me subtly out of his right eye. I mouthed 'Thank you' at him and he mouthed back 'No problem' and winked at me.

"No matter, Corlina. We can gather intelligence on this matter ourselves. This news about Sark is most disturbing, and I believe it would be in our best interests to act upon this as soon as possible."

"I agree," Vaughn said. "Corlina? Any suggestions?"

"Yes, in fact." She pulled up another person's file. "Lieutenant Khoul Lilith may have some useful input on this matter."

"Excuse me," I said. "I think it would be reckless to involve Khoul in this now. Especially after what happened at the Stronghold, he's gonna have a red flag on his name the size of Durani-Mo."

"That's true," Vaughn nodded. "But, still, what choice do we have?"

"There are not many other options," Corlina agreed. "I am not suggesting you pull him out of his deep cover assignment, but simply that you contact him by whatever means."

"I suppose." I surrendered.

"There are ways we could go about it without Khoul being in any danger," Nico said.

"Then I suggest that you contact him and find out what he knows," Caprine concluded.


	9. The Nightmare's Just Beginning

8. The Nightmare's Just Beginning

_December, 1789_

"Vaughn!"

I whipped my head around towards the sound of Dixon's voice. "Yeah?"

"Glad I caught you," he puffed, jogging over to me. "I was wondering what Caprine wants me to do about those building schematics we acquired last week."

"The ones for that new wing Daegonn's building?"

"Yes, those ones."

"Uh... oh, that's right, she told me to tell you to run 'em past Julia so she can input her knowledge about the inner workings of Daegonn's mind." I raised my eyebrows sarcastically.

"Oh, that should be fun." Dixon mimicked my tone. "Do you know where she is?"

"She'll still be sleeping. I'll tell her you want to see her when I go over there."

"Still sleeping? How late does she stay up these days?"

"Dixon." I looked at my watch. "It's only 5:47am."

"Oh, right. Well, what're you doing up so early?"

"What're _you_ doin' up so early?" I grinned.

I had him; he just grinned back. Nico called out his name so he turned to go over to her, calling, 'Later' at me over his shoulder. I shook my head.

'_Hopeless,'_ I thought.

I continued my jog 'till 5:58 and then headed to the Citadel Hall. I made my way down the corridor, greeting Caprine as I passed her office, straight ahead, up a flight of stairs, down another corridor, turned and ducked left to unlock the second door down – this was my apartment.

I flung the door open and put my keys in my mouth so I could take my jacket off, kicking the door shut behind me. I tossed my jacket onto the couch on my right and headed through to the kitchen. I opened the fridge, leaning on the door, pulled out a bottle of water and took a big swig, again kicking the fridge door shut.

I skulled almost half the bottle without breaking, then made an 'ah' sound as I put the bottle down on the bench. I know it seems like a stupid luxury to have your own apartment in the middle of a war zone. But people had lived in these apartments before the war, it would be a shame to let them sit there and fall into disrepair. Well, that was my excuse anyway.

I stood there thinking about that and chuckled to myself humourlessly. I replaced the lid of the bottle and shoved it back into the little shelf of the fridge door, then took my shirt off as I headed up the stairs to my room, grabbing a clean one once I got there and throwing the sweaty one out in the hall as close to the bathroom door as was good enough. Then I checked my mobile phone for messages (there were none, as always) (which was a good thing, actually, because messages usually meant trouble), and headed back down the stairs and back out into the corridor, locking the door behind me. I headed down the corridor to the fourth door on the right – Julia's apartment.

I knocked boisterously on the door so that Julia would know it was me, then proceeded to let myself in. That is after I stood there for about a minute, fumbling with my keys like a dickhead, trying to remember whether it was the key with the black dot or not. I went with the dot and it wouldn't turn.

"Oh, for fuck sake," I mumbled to myself.

I tried the one without the dot and the door unlocked. I sighed at myself and entered.

"Julia?" I called; just quiet enough to not wake her up if she was still sleeping and shutting the door behind me.

I tossed my keys onto the kitchen bench to my right and in doing so whacked my knuckle on the underside of the overhang with a _thunk_.

"Ow, shit," I whispered, shaking my hand.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the keys slid right across the bench, off the other side and clattered loudly onto the linoleum kitchen floor.

"Oh, for the love of Tetsu!"

I went around the bench into the kitchen, picked up the keys and placed them in the centre of the bench. I wondered how Julia could possibly be sleeping through all the noise I was making – she was the lightest sleeper in the history of time. You drop a pin on the carpet of the living room downstairs and she'll hear it and be wide awake in seconds.

Then I heard the sound of running footsteps, which I assumed was Julia about to run down the stairs, 9mm in hand (she kept one under her pillow, same as the rest of us), to inspect the noise. But she didn't come down the stairs – instead, I heard a door fling open, more running, another door fling open, more running and then the sound of dry retching.

You know how everyone has a unique voice, and you can tell a specific person's voice from, like, 100 metres away if they're talking loud enough. Well, it's gross, I know, but I reckon everyone has a unique retching sound, too. Because I knew that was Julia upstairs, if the fact that she was supposed to be home alone wasn't enough of a giveaway, and she sounded terrible.

I sprinted up the stairs and down the little hall to the bathroom. She was kneeling in front of the toilet, hunched over it, throwing up.

"Julia?" I ran over to her, my voice distressed.

She coughed twice and panted deeply, then she leaned against the wall on the right of the toilet.

I kneeled in front of her and held her shoulders. "What's wrong, are you okay?"

She didn't seem quite able to speak yet. She stood instead, walked over to the sink and washed her mouth out. I rubbed her back gently with one hand while she did that, then she stood and faced me. She was deathly pale and her skin seemed slightly transparent. There was a fresh sheen of sweat across her forehead.

"Are you alright?" I said, putting my hand on her forehead – it was a little warm, but not life threatening – then wiping the sweat away.

"Yeah," she groaned. "I'm fine. It's passed now."

"What was it?"

"I dunno. I just woke up and felt sick."

She left the bathroom and walked down the little hall. She started to descend the stairs, but swayed on the second step and I had to steady her.

"Take it easy." I said.

She put her hand to her head and closed her eyes. "Oh, wow," she said, shaking her head quickly.

I helped her down the stairs and onto the living room couch. I kneeled down on the floor in front of her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she wiped the sweat from her forehead, "Just light-headed."

"You're not gettin' sick, are ya?" I put my hand on her forehead again, it was quite clammy.

"I hope not, I've got work to do."

I rolled my eyes; such a typical Julia answer. "How are you feeling now?"

"Fine. A little hungry, actually." She looked as confused as I felt.

"Well, let me get you some water before you go eatin' anything."

"'Kay."

I got up and made my way to the kitchen, got the water and brought it back to her.

"Thanks." She took it gratefully.

She drank slowly, humouring me. She managed to get through the whole glass without bringing it back up, so I decided she would be okay to have a couple of saltine crackers. I got them for her and she wolfed them down. Then I sat in the armchair watching her for the next twenty minutes, coffee in hand. I thought she looked very strange, as in not herself. I told her so and she just shrugged and brushed me off, but deep down I thought she might already know or at least suspect the reason behind this sudden bout of sickness.

Half an hour passed and I got up to make myself another coffee. I was pouring the milk in when I remembered Dixon.

"Oh, by the way," I called towards the living room. "Dixon needs to go over those blueprints with you first thing this morning." There was no reply. I creased my eyebrows in confusion. "Julia, did you hear me?"

There was silence for a short moment, then I heard her mumble "Oh, Gods..." and she leapt off the couch and ran for the downstairs toilet. I put the milk down and went after her. I got there just in time to see her be violently ill. I walked over behind her and held her long, hair back for her.

When she recovered, she got up and went into the kitchen and rinsed her mouth out in the sink. I was starting to worry now. I followed her listlessly and waited for her to stand upright.

"Alright," I said once I had her attention, "That's it. I want you to go see Dixon."

"I thought you said he needed to see me anyway," she said, clutching her head.

"I mean I want you to get him to check you out."

"Vaughn, honestly, I'm fi—"

"Ah! No buts, just do it." I looked at her sternly.

She nodded, surrendering. She went upstairs then to get dressed. I waited downstairs for her, my worry bottling up more and more with every passing second. Three minutes later, she came back down, dressed, hair and teeth brushed, and she never looked worse. It sounds bad, but she looked terrible – she was pale and she looked gaunt. She had large, dark circles under her eyes and she looked strangely frail.

"What're you staring at?" she said, reaching the bottom of the stairs.

"You. You look terrible." I looked her up and down.

"Thanks."

"You promise you're gonna get Dixon to—"

"Yes!" she interrupted. "But I don't see why you have to fuss about it."

"You could be sick or somethin', I'm not takin' any chances."

"Fine."

She pushed past me and headed out the door. I followed, sighing internally. She headed off to the left, down the corridor in the direction of Dixon's office, and I headed the opposite way towards Caprine's. I was so distracted on my way down there, that I nearly smacked into Nico rounding a corner.

"Oh!" We both exclaimed as we saw each other's faces. Then we both laughed.

"Sorry, I should watch where I'm going," I said awkwardly.

Nico picked up on my mood straight away. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just worried about Julia."

"What about her? Is she okay?"

"I dunno, she was really sick, so I sent her off to Dixon's office."

"Oh." She mashed her eyebrows slightly, thinking to herself.

I saw the worry starting to set in on her face. "I mean, it's probably nothin' but I just wanted to be sure."

"Yes, of course. Anyway, where are you off to?"

"I need to speak with Caprine, then the shooting range. Need to let off some steam."

"Mm, I might join you in a moment. I must speak with Reily."

"Alright."

We went our separate ways, me heading downstairs, across the Citadel Hall and out into the gardens. The day had turned colder and more humid.

"Gonna rain again today," I mumbled to myself.

I made my way across the gardens and to the door on the right of the Citadel's supply store; it was owned by some anthropomorphic duck called Kamo. Rude fucker, that one – gave the rest of them a bad name. I unlocked the door and let myself in. The shooting range was a long, hall-like room. There was a back hall that you looked at when you first walked in, then to your left there were several benches separated by cubicles. Standing at one of the benches, you were looking down another long passage with a target at the far end.

There were cabinets under the benches which typically held a handgun, a .303, a .222 and several rounds of ammunition for each. I went for the .222 – I needed some big gun therapy. I checked the safety and the magazine, which was full, then slid a round into the barrel, flicked the safety off and fired.

Nico joined me after I was on my own for about ten minutes. I didn't hear her come in over the noise of the rifle and she scared the crap out of me.

"Vaughn?" she said timidly.

"Holy—!" I exclaimed, saving the rifle before it clattered to the floor.

"I'm sorry, did I startle you?"

"No, I, uh... just." She gave me a funny look. "A little. What's up?"

She grinned. "I told you I would be joining you, remember?"

It took me a second to register and then remember. "Oh, yeah."

Nico giggled softly and kind of half-walked, half-skipped over to the bench next to me and retrieved a handgun. I resumed my target practice for a moment, then pressed the button above my head on the left wall of the booth to bring in the target. It was pretty much shredded across the chest area with a few to the head and stomach areas. I took it down and retrieved another one from the cabinet and put it up, then I hit the button again to send it back.

We continued to practice in silence for about half an hour – times goes quickly when you're shooting things – before I finally laid my rifle down. I sighed as I put it and the ammunition back into the cabinet. Nico did the same with her handgun, and came over to stand in front of me.

"You are one distracted guy." she observed.

I shrugged. "Just concerned about Julia."

"What, you don't think it could be something serious, do you?"

"I don't know. But I have a pretty good idea of what it _could_ be. And I hope for her sake that I'm wrong."

It was late afternoon when Dixon came to me in the Tech Room. I was in there with Nico, Jason and Corlina going over the computer surveillance system, checking that everything was still in working order, when he knocked on the door and popped his head in.

"Vaughn?"

"Yeah?" I replied, lifting my head.

"A word?"

I nodded once. "Come on in."

He took a few steps inside the door and paused for a moment. His expression was concerned. "I think you need to go check on Julia."

"Why, what's happened?" I became instantly alarmed.

"Well... I just gave her the test results, and..."

"And what?" I demanded.

"She was quite taken by surprise. She went back to her apartment, but that was two hours ago."

"She hasn't left the apartment in that time?" Nico asked.

"No. She hasn't made contact with anyone, and I'm starting to get worried."

I didn't say anything else, just walked past Dixon and out of the room. I heard the others follow me across the hall, up the stairs and down the corridor to the door of Julia's apartment, before I finally turned to them.

"Maybe you lot should wait here, I don't want to spook her."

Jason nodded and I turned back to the door and knocked loudly three times.

"Julia?"

No response.

"Julia, it's me,"

No response.

"I'm comin' in."

I tried the handle but it was locked. I rattled it more roughly a few times, still nothing. I didn't have my keys on me, so I took a long step back and launched myself forward, ramming my left shoulder into the door and knocking it off its hinges, onto the floor. My head went straight into panic mode when she didn't come running, 9mm at the ready, but I remained calm on the outside as I stepped into the apartment.

I scanned the immediate area for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing; everything was perfectly in place. And that was precisely the problem. I reached into the holster at my right leg and brushed my fingers on the handgun I kept there. I headed on through to the lounge room, then the downstairs toilet, the kitchen – nothing.

I made my way up the stairs to her bedroom; she was still nowhere to be found. I finally headed down the little corridor to the upstairs bathroom where I found Julia, my age, my childhood friend, lying on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor, face down in a pool of blood.

I was stuck in the waiting room for what felt like years, but was actually only forty minutes. I was resting my head on my hands and my elbows on my legs, bouncing my right leg anxiously. Nico put her hand on my knee and gave me an assuring look. I sighed and stopped bouncing. We were all there, Nico, Jason, Sage, Reily and I, waiting to hear the news from Dixon.

Eventually, he came out of Julia's room to meet us. I got up at once and met him halfway.

"How is she?"

"Stable, though she lost a lot of blood. She's still unconscious."

"Dixon, what is going on here? This doesn't make sense, she would never do this."

"I have a reason why she would."

I took a moment to take in his grave expression. "You know something we don't."

"As I was saying earlier, I had just given her the results from the test you wanted me to run earlier today before she went back to her apartment."

"Yeah, you said she was taken by surprise." He nodded. "Why, what's wrong?"

Dixon paused for a long moment, eyeing me with a hopeless expression.

I lost my cool. "Gods dammit, Dixon! What's wrong with Julia?"

There was another pause before Dixon looked me in the eyes, sighed deeply and spoke the words that destroyed us all.

"She's pregnant."


	10. There Are No Words

9. There Are No Words

I ran through a dark hallway, running for fear of something pursuing me – something I couldn't see or hear. I couldn't turn my head, I only plunged on for what felt like eternity, until at last I broke through the darkness out into a bright light. It was a big, empty chamber; the only existing light illuminating my immediate vicinity.

I heard laughter – cold and cruel – but I never turned my head. I was not surprised at this sound. My eyes, uncontrolled by my will, would wander downward until they rested on a baby that I held in my arms. I would marvel at the child with wonder and confusion, and also sadness, until it opened its bright green eyes and I saw _his_ face.

My eyes flew open and I found myself gasping for breath, a cold sweat soaking my forehead. I wiped the moisture away, and mashed my eyebrows and shook my head in an effort to dislodge the nightmare.

"Julia?"

I very nearly screamed at the sound of a voice so close – I hadn't realised anyone was there. Then something dawned on me – I had woken up and someone was in the room with me. I was still alive. I gripped my hair, just about tearing it out from the root, and rocked back and forth slightly, pretending this wasn't happening. Why wasn't I dead? I should have been dead. I wanted to be.

"Hey, hey, hey! It's okay, it's just me."

I looked up in the direction of the voice from under my arm and found that it was Vaughn. I relaxed immediately.

"Oh!" I exclaimed softly. "I thought you were..." He raised one eyebrow in anticipation. "Nobody."

"Daego-?"

"Don't say it," I begged him, momentarily losing my sense. "Don't say it, don't say that name, dammit!"

"Okay, okay, Julia, it's okay. I won't say it." He laid his hands on my arms, soothing me. "It's okay, shh..."

"No it is _not_ okay, Vaughn! Why in the name of Tetsu would it be okay...?" My voice went low and I could hear the trembling in it.

"Right. Sorry."

"I don't want your apology." I told him from under my arms clenching my hair again.

"I know." His voice was sad and grave.

There was an extended silence before Vaughn finally said what I know he'd been dying to say.

"Julia," he began.

I tensed immediately at what was coming – I knew exactly what this was going to be about.

"Julia, what have you done? Why did you do this?"

His words reminded me of an awful pain that I had been trying so desperately to ignore. I reflexively looked down at my now bandaged wrists and back up again, before I made them more conspicuous. I didn't say anything to him, just stared ahead at nothing in particular, and waited for him to speak again.

"Julia Thorne, you'd better answer me right now." he said through gritted teeth.

"What do you want me to say?" I demanded.

"I want you to tell me what the hell was going through your mind."

"Nothing! Literally, I felt nothing, I just _did it_!" I could feel my emotions getting out of control, so I took a moment to get a grip on myself. "I just wanted it to end."

"Why?"

"You know why." I could tell that he knew, it was written all over his face. Dixon would have had to tell them.

"So that's it? You find out you're pregnant, so you _slit your wrists_?" Vaughn shook his head. "I don't get that."

"What's not to get?" I was raising my voice again.

"That's just not _you_."

"Well, then, you don't fucking know me very well!" I yelled. As soon as I said it I questioned myself as to why. I turned my head away from him and tried not to let him see that I was falling to pieces.

"Julia, what is happening to you?" His voice was shocked and slightly angry.

I could feel the traitor tears welling up in my eyes. I turned my head back to him; as soon as he saw my face, all the anger on his dissolved.

"I don't even know." I replied finally. "I'm, I'm just... not me. I'm... something different. Something ugly." The tears spilled over silently, and I stopped dancing around the edges. "I'm scared. I'm so scared. I've never been more terrified of _anything_ in my _life_! I can't do this, Vaughn, I can't, it's too much!"

His arms were around me in a second, and I welcomed his embrace, and let my walls fall down. I sobbed hysterically while he held me and let me ruin his shirt with my tears of despair. It took me a while to calm down enough to be coherent, but once I had, Vaughn took my face in his hands, and met my eyes with sympathy.

"Julia," he said. "No one wants to be faced with what you are. I know it's hard, but..." He looked like he didn't want to say it.

"I don't have a choice," I finished.

His face turned sad, and he looked like this fact pained him deeply. "But, you know you're never alone in this. I'm here. We all are. We want to help you."

I said nothing, just stared into his pale blue eyes and what I found there made me believe his words. I buried my face in his chest once more and let him hold me.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

I felt him nod and hold me to him tighter. I shut my eyes and tried to control myself. It wasn't long before Dixon came in and found that I was awake.

"Oh, Julia," he said, startling me and Vaughn. "Thank the Gods."

"Hi, Dixon," I said timidly.

He made his way over to Vaughn's side. "How do you feel?"

"Awful," I admitted. "I... I'm so sorry, Dixon. I don't know..." I didn't know how to finish.

"I understand," he said. "It's okay, you're alive and that's what matters. You just rest now."

I nodded and flopped my head back onto the pillow, willing to take his advice.

"You look pale," Vaughn noted, putting a hand to my forehead.

"It's from the blood loss," Dixon answered him. "You're damn lucky we arrived when we did, Julia."

"Yeah," I said to myself, "Lucky's not what I'd call it..."

"Listen, young lady, that's about enough outta you," Vaughn scolded me.

"I know, I'm sorry," I said quickly. "Force of habit."

"Please, Julia, just rest. Don't make me sedate you," Dixon warned.

"Okay." I rested my head back once more and closed my eyes.

I heard Dixon approach the bed then. "You should do the same, Kazel Vaughn."

"I'm good. I'm not leaving until she does." Vaughn took my hand once more and I welcomed it.

"If you say so." I heard Dixon say before I was dead to the world.

Could time have passed any more slowly than it did over the next few days? Dixon kept me under 'infirmary arrest', as he called it, for three days after my... attempted suicide as a standard routine precaution. If it wasn't for Vaughn and the others being there every second they could, I would probably have attempted suicide a second time just for something to do. I asked Dixon when I could leave every time he came in, which was often, and every time he said, 'Not yet, Julia'. The whole thing really drove me up the wall.

When I finally was able to return to my apartment, but not to work under strict instructions from Dixon, I didn't feel the sense of freedom I thought I would feel. As soon as Vaughn walked me from the infirmary and to the door of my apartment, I felt instantly sick. I felt a sweat break out on my forehead; I exhaled sharply and recoiled from the door.

"What is it?" Vaughn asked, moving in front of me and grabbing my shoulders.

I took a moment to respond. "Nothing, I'm fine," I said quietly, then unlocked the door, pushing past him into my apartment.

I heard him sigh and follow me in, shutting the door behind him with a frustrated bang. I walked on to the stairs, trying to make a fast getaway.

"Julia," Vaughn said in a warning tone.

I stopped and turned. "What?" I snapped impatiently.

"Come on in here."

He led the way into the lounge room at the back of the apartment and I reluctantly followed. He sat down on the couch and motioned for me to join him after I stood there for a second like an idiot. I sat down and stared at the floor, self-conscious of the fact that he was studying my face intently. It was silent for a moment before it became too much for Vaughn.

"Julia, please, talk to me," he begged. "Say _something_."

"What do you want me to say, Vaughn?"

My voice was quiet, and for a moment I though he hadn't heard me. I was about to repeat myself, when he took me by surprise; grasping my face in both his hands, leaning in close and staring into my eyes.

"_Anything_. Just... talk." He exaggerated each word, like he was talking to someone incoherent.

I know what he wanted me to talk about, but – coward that I was – I decided to distract him with something else.

"What happened back there?" I blurted out suddenly.

He looked perplexed. "What?"

"Back at... when we broke out. You never did tell me what happened."

"Oh." Vaughn leaned back and sighed; clearly relieved I finally seemed capable of communication. "Well, we were having a discussion about how the hell we were gonna break out of there when Khoul showed up. You remember Khoul Lilith?" He appraised me to see if I was taking in anything he was saying.

"Yeah," I said, focusing on keeping my voice and expression relatively even. "He's that double agent that was stationed there over a year ago, right? He helped you break out?"

"Yeah, he unlocked the cell doors and led us to our equipment, babbling something about how we didn't have much time. I guess he must have known, 'cos when he heard you..." His voice trailed off and he shuddered at the memory. He shook his head slightly, as if the sound of my screaming was still ringing in his ears and he was trying to shake it out.

I flinched. "Was he the one who overloaded the console?"

"Yeah, he did. Did that help?"

"Yes." A lump rose in my throat, and I felt like I wanted to be sick at the memory. "It was... instrumental in my escape. I'll have to remember to thank him, should I see him again."

"Khoul is a good soldier," Vaughn continued. "Very loyal, they're hard to come by."

"What about the red tape?" I had wondered once before whether the enemy was suspicious of Khoul's involvement in our breakout or not.

"All taken care of. Khoul's name is sparkly clean on the Stronghold's A-list."

Every time I heard someone say 'Stronghold' or... or _his_ name, I flinched involuntarily. Vaughn noticed this and his expression turned to one of concern.

"Julia, he can't get you here. You know that, right?"

"Of course." I met his eyes. "I just—force of habit."

He nodded, satisfied. Then he was incredibly serious. "He will never hurt you again. Not while I'm still breathing. I promise you."

"Don't make a girl a promise if you know you can't keep it."

"Then tell me what I can say to make you feel better."

"There's nothing you can say." My voice went quiet. "Words won't change anything – won't make this go away."

"Did you know I slit his throat on the way out of the Stronghold? Gods, it felt good to do that. Just wish I could kill the son of a bitch for good."

"Don't say that," I half-begged, half-scolded. "The very thought of you confronting him makes me want to be sick."

"I can handle myself." His expression frightened me.

I narrowed my eyes. "He would kill you. That's a fact."

Vaughn sighed. "I know. It really doesn't matter what I say, does it?"

I shook my head.

Vaughn's face turned hard. "I really wish there was some way to end his pitiful existence. It's just downright annoying that he keeps reincarnating himself all the time. He needs to get a hobby or something."

"He has one," I retorted. "Making other peoples' lives a misery."

"Right," Vaughn agreed.

"Can we not talk about him," I almost begged. "Please? I'm trying to forget about it."

"Sorry," Vaughn said quickly. "I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to say here."

"I told you—nothing. Stop trying to make me feel better, it's too soon for that."

"I'm not helping, am I? I'm sorry."

"The fact that you're here is enough for me." I tried to smile but barely managed not to frown.

Vaughn's face looked pained. "Then tell me what I can _do_." His voice was pleading, begging for a hint as to how to lighten my sullen mood.

I didn't respond. Instead, I leaned my head into his chest and shut my eyes tightly. He pulled me close to him and held me securely, protectively.

One of the best things about my relationship with Vaughn, was that there was nothing intimate about it. He was my brother, my friend, my rock. He was the one I could turn to when the shit hit the fan and whinge about how unfair life was; and he would always make me laugh and instantly feel better. We never kept secrets, we trusted each other with our lives. He was the best big brother a girl ever had.

And neither of us ever wanted anything more.

I thought about that as Vaughn held me and stroked my hair, his cheek resting on the top of my head. I smiled to myself – well, it was more of a grimace – and concentrated on nothing but the sound of his breathing and the rhythm of his heart under my palm; the happiest sound in my world.

As long as his heart kept beating, I knew I would survive.


	11. What the Hell Kind Of Messed Up Crap

10. What the Hell Kind of Messed Up Crap Is This?

1-2-3-in, 1-2-3-out; step-step-step-breathe in, step-step-step-breathe out.

Focusing on my pacing while I ran was always good for keeping my mind busy. I couldn't leave myself much free time for thinking these days, or I would start thinking about things I didn't want to think about. Why does your brain always do that to you? Forces you to dwell on things you'd just rather forget – a bad experience, the death of someone close – or, in my case, being violated by a man who's roughly four times your age and then finding out you're going to have his child in approximately seven months time.

What a fucking fantastic year I was having.

It was hard to believe almost a month had passed since I got out of the infirmary after my, er... mishap. It would officially be the year 1790 in a matter of days. I would be turning fifteen in September – the same month this child was conceived in. Which made me due sometime in June, if I made up my mind about whether I was going to go through with this or not.

I knew that Vaughn was right; whether I liked it or not – and I certainly didn't – I didn't have much of a choice. There were only three options:

Option one: go through with the pregnancy and raise the child myself.

Definitely not ideal.

Option two: go through with the pregnancy and give the child over to someone else.

I considered my cousin, Aidan. I had known of his existence for a while and I got in touch with him when I came to the Citadel. He was much older than me, his mid twenties I believed – the son of my father's much older brother. He had a wife and a son, and he lived on the outskirts of Crystal Reef; his home was in the mountains, very secluded from the outside world.

Most ideal.

Option three... terminate the pregnancy.

Something I knew in my heart I could never bring myself to do.

I sighed outwardly to myself and stopped running. I knew that this was hopeless. Every day since I was released, my morning routine had been nothing if not predictable. I would wake up at 4:00am and sprint for the bathroom. I would hear Vaughn let himself in and come trudging up the stairs, into the bathroom and he would lumber over and hold my hair back for me.

I would rinse my mouth, brush my teeth, and get dressed. I would go downstairs and into the kitchen to find Vaughn making himself a coffee. He would smile and say 'Morning' and I would try to smile back and mumble some form of an absent-minded greeting. And as I headed out the door, I would tell myself that I was not going to think about _that_ today.

I would go outside and start my lap around the Citadel, focusing on my pacing; 1-2-3-in, 1-2-3-out. Then I would start dwelling on the very thing I promised myself I was not going to think about, then I would sigh and stop running and realise that this was happening every morning.

I needed to get a life.

"Julia?"

"Ah!" I exclaimed, jumping up from my position of being bent forwards, leaning my hands on my knees, and spinning around to see who it was that had startled me.

It was Reily.

"You scared the crap out of me." I mumbled.

"Sorry," she apologised, appraising me. "What were you thinking about so hard?"

"Nothing." I straightened out of my slightly defensive posture. I hated it when people snuck up on me. She should have known better.

She raised one eyebrow. "Okay. Um... we've got a briefing in fifteen."

"Sure." I turned to head back to my apartment.

"Hey, Julia?" I turned back to face her and raised my eyebrows questioningly. "Do you mind if I walk with you for a bit?"

I was puzzled by her sudden eagerness to take a leisurely stroll with me, but I shook my head in response and started heading off back towards the Citadel Gardens once more. She matched my walking pace in silence for a bit, then she stopped suddenly in the middle of the balcony between the courtyard and the gardens. I stopped a moment after and turned around.

"What is it?" I asked.

Her face looked as grave as Vaughn's did whenever he was looking at me and thought I couldn't see him. "I'm, I'm just..." She looked like she was having a lot of trouble trying to phrase something. I waited patiently for her to continue. "I'm really worried about you. Not just me, we all are. Nico's beside herself, she keeps waiting for you to pull another stunt like before. You gave her a hell of a fright, you know. We're _all_ scared, Julia, not just you. We don't want to pressure you into making a decision or anything, but you can't keep shutting us out like this. We—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up." I interrupted. "Did Vaughn tell you to do this?"

"Not just Vaughn," she admitted sheepishly. "But everyone agreed that someone needed to talk to you, and I was the one stupid enough to volunteer. I told them you wouldn't listen to me—"

"No, you're right."

"I'm sorry?"

"I said you're right. I need to stop being so dejecting to everyone. I was actually thinking about that before you startled me."

"Oh," She looked taken aback that I was agreeing with her.

I frowned. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. I just needed to get my head around everything."

"No, it's okay, I understand. What happened... it was awful, and I get that you needed some time out."

I smiled – it was only a small smile, but still genuine – for the first time in months. I was encouraged by Reily's understanding. Reily looked like she was encouraged by my smile, because she smiled too. I never noticed how perfectly white her teeth were.

"Come on," I said, my voice suddenly more alive than before. "We don't want to be late for the big briefing."

Everyone at the conference table eyed me and Reily as we entered the room, more with curiosity than speculation. I suppose I deserved it, I had been acting like a zombie this past month. The minute the briefing started I mentally kicked myself for not paying attention these past few weeks. I had no idea what anyone was talking about. I tried to tune in to what they were saying.

"Viaskes Demazhlikov," Vaughn stated.

"A-who-now?" Jason asked.

"He's an arms dealer," Vaughn explained. "One who, according to Corlina, has been working with Daegonn since the dawn of time. Corlina?"

Corlina made her appearance. "That is correct, Agent Vaughn. Demazhlikov is currently the leading arms dealer in Akloria. He has supplied the enemy with much of their firearms and he is also the head overseer of the construction of the new wing for the Stronghold."

"Do we have any leads as to what this wing will be used for as of yet?" Caprine asked.

"According to intelligence provided by Agent Lilith, the wing will be used as some kind of testing facility. We still do not know what for. Agent Lilith says he will do what he can to find out."

"So basically, we _still_ have nothing," Dixon stated.

"For the time being, I'm afraid so."

There was a collective groan through the room. I didn't blame them; though Corlina was doing what she could, we hadn't had any new leads in all this time, which meant we had no way of knowing what the enemy was planning or how to stop them. It was frustrating.

"Alright," Vaughn said, "You let us know the second Khoul makes contact."

"Certainly."

Caprine dismissed us and the group disbanded. Just as I was about to leave the room, Caprine piped up.

"Julia?"

I spun around to face her. "Yes, My Lady?"

"Could I have a moment of your time?"

"Of course." I walked over to stand back at my place to her left.

She looked serious and concerned. "How are you?"

"I'm okay." I meant this, and my voice was strong to back me up.

"I'm glad to hear it." She smiled. "I was watching you today, and I must say, you do look much better. You're handling this exceptionally well, considering the circumstances."

I nodded. "I just figured it was time for me to wake up and stop feeling sorry for myself."

"Dear Julia, that is not how you have been acting at all." She placed a hand on my arm soothingly. "Everyone copes with things differently. It was quite a shock you were hit with, and so much to consider and decide. Your system just needed some time to catch up and re-prioritise."

I shrugged one shoulder. "I suppose so."

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better. But if it becomes too much for you, don't hesitate to ask for more time off. We're not exactly on red alert at this stage, so it would be no burden." Her eyes tried to persuade me, but she should've known I was too stubborn to be persuaded.

I shook my head. "Paying attention today made me realise just how much I've missed. I need to be here, where I belong. If I'm suspended from the field I need to do everything I can to help here."

"Very well, but should you change your mind, the offer stands." She smiled.

I smiled back. "Thank you, Caprine."

I didn't need Caprine's offer. As it turned out, I gradually got better over the next few days. My morning routine altered to the point where I would actually smile and greet Vaughn in the mornings, and he wouldn't hide his happiness at that. And I now went running with him, which did more to keep my mind calm than the pacing did. I even started to run faster than him and he had to push himself to keep up.

"Don't run so fast," he panted one morning, "You're gonna strain yourself."

"You're just afraid I'll kick your ass." I grinned widely and he grinned back.

I contributed to briefings and helped Corlina with the surveillance. I assisted Dixon with his research, and I joined the shifts monitoring the communications, waiting with Corlina for Khoul's call. Corlina always picked up on the moods of the people around her and adapted to them, so whenever I walked in the room, she smiled and gave me a hearty greeting.

It wasn't just Corlina who was more cheerful around me; everyone started treating me almost like I was normal again. Vaughn and I would tease each other and I would laugh when he told a joke. I would smile and roll my eyes when Nico jokingly complained about how much food the pack were eating. Jasonali and his pack of six other hugely buff werewolves could put it away. I would have serious conversations with Dixon about the testing facility and come up with theories on its use.

I sparred with people and went to the shooting range (and kicked everybody's ass in the process) I went back to giving lessons on guerrilla tactics to Reily and she absorbed everything I told her and practiced with enthusiasm. She was getting better every day – stronger and more agile. She even beat me once when I wasn't paying attention. She helped me up and we both laughed.

I had gotten to know Reily really well in the time we had spent training together, and I must say I liked her a lot. I trusted her, which was a difficult thing for me to do, but she had earned it. What had happened at the Stronghold had made her more aware of the severity of our situation, and so she was always eager to learn. However, sometimes she got this look in her eye when she looked at me, like she was... afraid of me. I was confused by this, and I decided to confront her about it.

"Reily, is there something you want to say to me?" I asked her one morning after practice.

Her face was shocked for a fraction of a second and then she composed herself. "What would make you think that?" She tried to sound innocent, but I knew I had her.

"I don't know, I just get this feeling there's something you want to confess to me."

"You know, you're too observant for your own good." she said, trying to dodge the subject.

"It's why I'm still alive," I pointed out. "But you didn't answer my question. Is there something wrong?"

She was silent for a moment. "It's just... I was just thinking..." She paused and I waited for her to continue. "About the thing with the Stronghold." she admitted finally.

"Oh," I said, my face falling.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, Julia, I know you mean well and everything, but... seeing what happened with Haigs, what you did..." She trailed off and I understood.

"You're upset that I killed him," I stated coldly.

"Not... exactly. It's just, seeing you like that..." She shuddered. "You scared the hell out of me, Julia. I had no idea that... you were capable of that. Turning on one of your own because you _suspected_ he was a traitor." She looked sheepish.

"I _knew_ he was a traitor – you can tell them by the look in their eye. They're possessed – possessed by Daegonn's promises of power." My voice was steely. "He was a traitor, and all traitors deserve to die. Keep that in mind." The threat was evident under my cold tone.

"I would never betray you." she promised.

I sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. It just..." I clenched my fist, trying to channel my anger. "If I could do it again I would."

"That." Reily pointed at me. "That right there is what scares me. This war is destroying you, Julia, destroying the life, the childhood you could've had."

I scoffed a bitter laugh. "Bit late for that." I pointed toward my belly, which was beginning to protrude more prominently.

"That's not what I mean." She shook her head. "I wonder what you were like before the war."

"Ignorant, childish, carefree, just as stubborn, not a care in the world, not prepared for how my life turned around. If you wanted a list."

"Innocent. That's what you were – we all were. You're still a kid, Julia, but you act like you're 30. Sometimes I forget that you're a year younger than me. You've seen and done so much, you've gained so much life experience. You've killed people in cold blood; people you thought were your friends. I could never do that."

"Then you shouldn't be here," I said rather harshly. I collected myself. "Look, there's not a day goes by that I don't hate myself for all the awful things I've done, but I had to do them. It's their lives or the lives of my friends. I've probably killed more people twice, three times my age than you've known in your lifetime. But I do it because it's the right thing to do, and their sacrifices will not be in vain. Someday, whether by our hand or not, Daegonn _will_ be taken down."

She looked stunned at my little speech. I walked toward her, put my hands on her shoulders and met her gaze with piercing eyes.

"You will be placed in situations where you will have to point your gun at someone – a person, who probably had a family, friends, and a future before the war. Someone who had hopes and dreams and wanted something more out of life. You will look that person in the eyes and you must decide: whose life is worth more? You will meet that person's gaze and see everything they should have had in this life."

I could see she was terrified at this revelation, the realisation that she would have to end lives that were once meaningful. A single tear rolled down her left cheek. I reached up and brushed it away with my thumb and she breathed a shaky sigh.

"I can't guarantee that I won't crack when you need me most," she said in a small voice.

"None of us know how we'll react when we are thrown into the thick of a situation that we know will not end well," I said, my tone empathetic. "Your training may give you the skills, but it can never truly prepare you for what's waiting out there."

Reily sighed again, and more silent tears spilled over her moist eyes. "I'm scared," she whispered.

I closed the remaining distance between us and embraced her. I remembered how it felt to be in her situation, the overwhelming feeling of what you had to do; the anguish and despair and the feeling that you were completely alone in the world.

"When the time comes," I told her, breaking the embrace and stepping back. "You'll know what to do."

It was the 1st of January, 1790, be-bloody-lieve it or not, when the call finally came through. I was sitting in the Comms Room with Corlina, just about to doze off, when she snapped her virtual fingers in my face and told me that Khoul was attempting to patch through. I jumped up from my seat as Corlina disappeared to go wait for us in the Conference Hall, and sprinted for the apartment block to alert the others – It was only five in the morning, but I would have to wake them up. I sprinted down the hall, hammering on everyone's doors and shouting: "_Khül tânetíecocü dǽm!_" as I passed.

I took the stairs as quickly as was safe in my condition and sprinted down the hall. Then all of a sudden, Dixon stepped out of the tech room – he must have been in there late – into the hallway, right in my path. I didn't have a hope of slowing in time, and he hadn't even seen me yet, so he wasn't going to get out of the way in time.

"_Káocëdi táihe!_" I yelled as I approached him.

He recognised the warning call that we used commonly out in the field and immediately dropped low to the ground with a startled expression. He was lengthways across the width of the hall, lucky for me. I hurdled him and continued running.

"_Waine, Cǽnefî Láole!_"

I continued to sprint down the corridor towards the Conference Hall. Behind me, I heard Dixon spring to his feet and pursue. Once I reached the end of the hall and descended the second flight of stairs, I heard the apartment doors slamming shut and various sets of rapid footsteps. I reached the Conference Hall finally and threw the big doors open, bursting into the room breathless and wide-eyed. Corlina was already there, ready to patch Khoul through. Caprine turned towards me and nodded. Dixon joined me in the doorway, followed shortly by Vaughn, Sage, Nico and Jason.

"Corlina was just explaining to me that Khoul made contact," Caprine said, motioning for us to enter.

We filed in quickly, taking up our seats. I suddenly realised that we were missing one.

"Where's Reily?" I asked breathlessly.

"She may be outside," Vaughn suggested.

"She is," Sage verified. "She's in the training ground."

"I'll get her," I said, turning and heading out the door.

I jogged through the gardens, through the gate and across the balcony out into the courtyard looking for Reily. I eventually heard the sound of a metal object slashing through something. I rolled my eyes and jogged toward the sound. I found Reily in the training ground, slashing away at one of the dummies with her sword.

"Reily," I said. She didn't hear me, so I decided I needed to shout at her. "Reily!"

Her head snapped up in surprise, and when she saw my face, she knew something was going on. Without another word, I jogged back towards the Citadel Hall with her following closely behind. Once we were inside and settled, Corlina patched Khoul through. Khoul's face popped up on the console and he looked slightly worried.

"Go ahead, Khoul," Vaughn permitted.

"_Alright, I managed to get my hands dirty in the politics of the Stronghold,"_ Khoul began. _"It turns out that this new wing is not the testing facility I thought it was. Daegonn's gonna use it to merge plasma energy into common firearms and steels."_

"Impossible," I stated simply, "No one's ever been able to do that. Plasma's far too unstable."

"_Since when has Daegonn ever cared about the instability of something?"_

I just nodded.

"I hate to sound ignorant, but what's plasma?" Reily piped up.

"Plasma is a kind of chemical energy that _will_ kill you if it gets into the bloodstream," Dixon explained. "It is a type of energetic poison that will immobilize a human and kill them in one minute flat; without fail, every time. I've seen it happen before."

"That sounds scary."

"It _is_ scary – especially when you watch it happen."

"_And the fact that Daegonn's gonna put it into all of his weaponry is even scarier," _Khoul continued. _"The facility is almost complete, and testing is due to start next week sometime."_

"Fuck." I swore.

"What can we do?" asked Nico.

"_Right now? There's nothing we can do – he's got this project locked up tighter than the Inner Bailey. We just wait it out and see how successful he is in his endeavour. It may be worthwhile, for him. It may be a total failure, fingers crossed. I'll dig around some more and see if I can find a way to compromise their efforts."_

"Alright, but _don't_ compromise your cover." Vaughn warned.

"_Understood, sir. Khoul out."_ The transmission cut.

"Well... there goes the neighbourhood," I said sarcastically, heading off outside.


	12. Aklorian Histories

11. Aklorian Histories

Reily came to find me after half an hour or so. I was standing on the balcony, staring out at the horizon – the meeting of black between the ocean and sky – the cool sea breeze whipping my hair behind me. It felt good on my skin, blowing through my long hair. A lot of the female officers stationed at the Citadel wore their hair short as a matter of convenience, but I didn't care whether it was convenient, I didn't ever want to cut my hair.

I heard Reily coming, walking up to stand beside me. She looked at me for a moment, then stared out toward the horizon as I was. She took in a deep breath and released it in a sigh. I closed my eyes, letting my other senses take in the breeze and the peacefulness of the moment. It was early morning – or it would have been if there was still sunlight – and the air was cold, but I was used to it and Reily was rugged up.

"I come out here to think sometimes," I told her, gently breaking the silence. "When things seem surreal or pointless..." I opened my eyes. "I just stare out to the horizon and think about how the world used to be."

"You remember a time before the war?" Reily asked, looking at me.

"Yes. I was nine when the war began. I remember quite a bit before it." I paused for a moment.

"Where did you live before the war?"

"In a city called Ulê Eàmońn Sô'al. It was an old city; it'd been around since the time of the Spartans."

"The Spartans?"

"The Spartans were an ancient race of the blended blood of elves and humans. Very powerful beings that were bound to the magic of the elements from birth. The Spartans built my hometown long ago. They also built the portals, which suggests they may have made their way to Earth at some point. But that knowledge was lost after the Civil War."

"The Civil War? Between the Spartans?"

"Yes. A young Lord of the Spartans, Edward Olmos, rose up against the rulers of the Spartans and formed a powerful rebellion. He overthrew the rulers, but many Spartans were killed in the process. When I was growing up in Eàmońn Sô'al, there were a few hundred Spartans taking residence within the city – the last of their race."

"Only a few hundred? How many Spartans were there before the Civil War?"

"The last record in Aklorian history was 58,000."

"Holy shit!"

"Yeah. They almost completely wiped each other out."

"What happened to the rest of them?"

"Lord Olmos may have overthrown the rulers, but he was discontent with his lot, I suppose. He decided that the Spartan race needed to be eradicated."

"Why?"

"So he could claim his power as unique. He burned Eàmońn Sô'al and slaughtered every civilian. I made it out alive, but my sister wasn't so lucky."

"You have a sister?"

"Had. She was murdered by Olmos himself. He tried to kill me as well – shot me in the chest. But I was lucky; Vaughn found me."

"Vaughn?"

I nodded. "He was only twelve at the time, just a trainee. He was sent with a regiment to Eàmońn Sô'al while it was still smouldering, to search for survivors. He found me bleeding to death in the street and General O'Reilly carried me back to the Citadel. When I woke up at the Citadel, the realisation dawned on me that I had lost everything – my home, my family, I mean Gods know what happened to my parents."

"Do you remember them at all?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "Sort of. I don't remember my father's name, but my mother was Alessa. They were the best parents a girl could hope for. But my sister was the most influential person in my life."

"What was your sister's name?"

I paused for a moment. "Her name was Sydney. She was two years older than me; and ten years wiser. She knew that something was gonna go down with Olmos. When he came to the city, she threw herself in front of a bullet for me. Turned out it didn't do any good. She should have run."

"I would have done the same if I were her." Reily's voice was assuring.

"If it wasn't for Vaughn I wouldn't be alive today. He helped me settle in at the Citadel. I used to watch him train with the older men. One day, he asked me for my assistance, and when O'Reilly saw my potential, he offered me a place next to Vaughn, as a trainee. We've been inseparable ever since."

"Your friendship is something special."

"Yes, it is," I agreed.

"He really cares about you."

"I know. We call each other 'brother' and 'sister' sometimes." I smiled at the thought.

Reily laughed lightly. "It really is nice out here."

I nodded in agreement.

"How you been doin'?"

"Alright. Better than I was."

"Glad to hear it. You've been so spaced out lately."

I laughed. "That's an interesting expression."

"You've never heard it before?" She sounded surprised.

"English is not my first language," I reminded her.

"Oh, that's right; _Ônaleüriáek_ is."

I turned my head toward her with a surprised expression – I couldn't believe she had just pronounced that correctly. "You've been practicing," I stated.

"I have. I may already understand Aklorian, but I need to learn to speak it if I expect to be here long."

"Good thinking," I said approvingly.

She smiled. "_Kahéunitö._"

I grinned from ear to ear.

We waited, once again, for Khoul's next transmission to see if he could give us something to act on. We had various ways of passing the time while we waited. Quite a few times, we all went down to the training ground to have tournaments. No magic, no special abilities, just a sword and your own muscles and battle smarts.

I stood with Reily, watching for the first few times, pointing out things of note to her. Then I let her have a go. Vaughn pummelled her, not unexpected as he was an exceptional fighter. She beat Dixon, who wasn't all that great with a sword, and he took it well. Nico was too fast and nimble for her. When I fought her, we had to call it a draw after about twenty minutes of going head on at each other. She scolded me teasingly for going easy on her, then when we fought again I put her flat on her back in about fifteen seconds.

Watching Sage and Jasonali fight was something spectacular. Jason phased into his wolf form so it would be a fair fight; and were they fast! It blew me away every time I saw it – it was something you never got used to. Reily watched them in amazement, not bothering to make notes from the incomprehensible fight. After just two minutes, the advantage of Sage's mind reading won out and he threw Jason to the ground. Jason phased back to human form, laughing with his friend.

We all left the training ground after their fight and headed off to the mess hall for lunch. Despite everything that was going on, we were all in high spirits that day – enjoying our freedom while it lasted. We ate well, joking and laughing boisterously; having one very involved conversation between us. Reily seemed very comfortable with us now. I remembered how tense she was in the beginning – that was gone now. She was one of us.

"So, guys," Reily said after we all groaned and laughed at one of Vaughn's famous bad jokes. "Tell me about yourselves."

Everyone looked at Dixon expectantly.

"What? Oh, I always go first." He whinged jokingly.

We laughed some more, then let him speak.

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"Anything, really; personal history and all that."

"Well, I grew up here, at the Citadel. Went to school until I was fourteen – when the war began – then started my medical training. I always knew I wanted to be a medical practitioner, just didn't realise it would be in a war zone."

"Any family?" Reily took another bite of her sandwich.

"Yes, my parents. My father, Hamesh, was a member of the army here. He was killed early on in the war. My mother died a few weeks after I was born."

"I'm sorry," Reily said genuinely.

Dixon shrugged one shoulder. "I don't remember her. Vaughn?"

Reily turned to Vaughn expectantly. "Where are you from, originally?"

Vaughn finished his mouthful. "Actually, I grew up in Crystal Reef."

"Really?"

Vaughn nodded.

"Yes, he did," Nico said, grinning.

"The little country boy," I teased.

"Shut the fuck up." he said, only half-serious.

We laughed again.

"Yeah, I lived there with my parents and my older brother."

"Oh?" Reily inquired.

"My father, Tailen, was in the army, too. I didn't see him much. I hated him; he used to beat up my mother a lot."

"Please tell me you did something about that."

"When I found him abusing her the first time I came home after being stationed at the Citadel, I beat the living shit out of him."

"And?"

"I never saw him again. He was killed early on in the war."

"What about your brother?"

"Talos was a soldier too – it runs in the family. He was quite a bit older than me. He turned when the darkness came and then he vanished. My mother is living in Crystal Reef, currently, helping the priest with the children there."

"Glad to hear somebody's parent is still alive."

"I've tried to convince her to come here, but she doesn't want to leave the priest alone."

"Your mum sounds nice."

"Yeah, I love my mum."

"Yeah, and _I_ love his mum," Dixon said as he was walking behind Vaughn with his empty plate.

"Dixon," Vaughn warned jokingly.

"She's like butter," Dixon sang.

Vaughn grinned and smacked Dixon on the back of the head as he went past, Dixon calling out an appropriate 'ow'. We all laughed at their silliness, then Reily turned to Nico.

"Well," Nico began, "First of all, I am an anthropomorphic cat – half-human, half-cat – and I was raised in Durani-Mo, with the other anthropomorphs. From a very young age, I began training with the other children of the tribe. My parents were killed when Wolufs attacked the village after the darkness drove them mad. Many anthropomorphs died that day. The rest of us ran in various directions. I eventually made my way towards the Citadel and Caprine took me in."

"Where is the rest of your tribe now?"

"I don't know. Scattered across Akloria in various places, I suppose. We are a dying race, there are very few of us left."

I was listening intently to everyone's stories, not saying a word, even though I'd heard them before, and for a while I forgot where I was. Dixon returned to his seat and everyone except Reily turned towards me expectantly.

"Come on, then, your turn," Vaughn taunted me.

I shook my head, swallowing my mouthful of sandwich. "I already told her."

"Really?" Vaughn teased, turning to Reily. "How did you get _that_ out of her?"

"Didn't really take much prodding to be honest," Reily smirked.

"Whatever," I chuckled. "I owed it to her."

I saw Reily smile out of my peripheral vision. Sage and Jasonali entered then, Jason's plate piled up with all sorts of things, Sage's with a sandwich, and we all greeted them heartily.

"Hungry?" Nico teased Jason.

"Always," he replied, grinning boyishly.

Jason sat down next to Nico and Sage came and sat on my right.

I smiled at him. "Just a sandwich?"

"You know me," he replied. "Never had much of an appetite.

I nodded knowingly. As Sage was half-vampire, half-human, he needed food to survive, but only once or twice a day, and generally in small amounts.

"So, your turn, boys," Reily addressed the entrants.

"Our turn for what?" Jason asked.

"Tell me about yourselves."

"After you, big boy," Sage taunted, taking a bite and smiling triumphantly.

"If you remember correctly, I was unconscious for most of it." He took a bite. "Thought you never forgot anything, Mr. 'photographic memory.'"

"Yes, but I was absent for 23 years of it," Sage reminded him.

"Dammit," Jason muttered. "Okay, then. Well, I was out hunting with my family and we followed an animal off the track we were on. A bit stupid at the time, but we didn't know what was out there. But, when we followed it, it disappeared and we had no idea where the track was. We searched for it, but no luck. Then things got bad..."

"What happened?" Reily interjected.

"Well... Wolufs. They came out of nowhere – we'd accidentally encroached on their territory. Hence how..." He gestured to himself. "... This happened."

"I see." Reily lowered her head.

"Sage?" Jason prompted.

"When I met Jason, we were both chasing the same animal, going for the kill and we literally bumped into each other. At first we were hostile, but I could read his fear of what he had become in his thoughts. I helped him to embrace his new-found abilities and we have been close ever since."

"How long ago was this?" Reily looked concerned for the answer.

"About 250 years ago, give or take a decade."

"And how old are you both."

"I dunno," Jason shrugged. "I was twenty when I was turned... I think."

"I am 369 years old," Sage stated.

"Wow." Reily was bug-eyed. "How did you become... like this?"

"I was born like this. My father was a vampire of old, a sadistic man who cared nothing for human lives and considered himself a God. He would lure many human women into his traps, but he had never really tried-" he cut himself off and rethought what he was about to say. "Well, he had never considered children."

Reily shuddered.

"My mother was a common human woman, I suppose. I killed her when I was born."

I saw Jason look at Sage seriously and rest a hand on his shoulder.

"I know that," Sage replied to Jason's thoughts. "Fine, she _died_ when I was born, it doesn't change what happened."

"Dude..."

"Don't start, Jason."

Reily looked puzzled by their exchange of affection – Jason and Sage didn't often truly show they cared about each other.

"My sister killed her mother as well," – Jason groaned – "So I suppose it can't be helped."

"Your sister? I didn't know vampires could have siblings."

"Technically, I am only _half_-vampire, and she was only my _half_-sister. I use the terms too loosely, I suppose. Her name was Emma."

"What happened to her?"

"She was killed by a Newborn near the outskirts of Crystal Reef. I wasn't there when it happened... I should have been."

"Wasn't your fault," Jason said reflexively.

"Oh, shut up, Jasonali." Sage barked.

Reily flinched and I sighed quietly. Sage tended to get a bit this way when he talked about Emma – it made him sad to think about his beloved sister, whom he believed was killed because he was too weak to save her. I begged to differ; and so did Jason.

"I'm sorry," Sage said after a moment. "That was harsh."

"S'okay," Jason replied. "I know how much you miss her."

"You said your sister was killed by a 'Newborn'," Reily clarified; Sage nodded. "What is that, like a new vampire?"

"Yes," Sage replied, "A vampire is most powerful in their first year of their new... life. Newborns are wild, vicious, irrepressible. Unless you know what you're doing."

"How did you come to be here?" Reily changed the subject.

Jasonali looked up at Sage expectantly.

"Well," Sage began. "A few years back, there was an incident in Ashenbark Woods where Jason was attacked by two vampires; nomads of the area. I got there just in time and killed the vampires, but Jason was in bad shape. I knew he would die if I didn't get him help soon, and I knew of only one person who could heal him."

Sage turned to me; Reily's gaze followed.

"You?" she asked me.

I nodded. "Sage brought Jason here, and I healed him."

"How?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "With magic."

"How did you know about Julia?" Reily turned to Sage

"I knew her father, Gods rest his soul – a most powerful sorcerer. And I knew his daughters would share his unique gifts with magic. I looked everywhere for either of them, expecting them both to have been killed in the Eàmońn Sô'al massacre. I suspected if either of them were alive, it would be Sydney, but I heard Julia's thoughts first. And so I came here."

"I still owe you one for that," Jason grinned at me teasingly. 

"You don't owe me anything," I stated simply.

"So, you healed Jason. Then what?" Reily continued.

"I explained our situation to Caprine and our current company, and they welcomed us with open arms; anything to assist the war efforts."

"There was one other reason, but that's not important." Jason waved his hand dismissively.

Nico scoffed and pouted, putting her hands on her hips. We laughed. Reily looked confused.

"Jason imprinted on Nico," Vaughn explained.

"Do I even want to know...?" Reily prompted.

"It's not what you think... well, I suppose it is, sort of—"

"You're not seriously ready for an early grave, are you Vaughn?" Jason warned half-heartedly.

Vaughn grinned. "Maybe."

"Imprinting is the werewolf form of finding your soul mate," Jason explained smiling goofily at Nico.

I faked dry retching and Jason threw an object of food at me, which I dodged just in time.

"Your arm getting a bit heavy in your old age, Jason?" I grinned.

He stuck his tongue out at me in a most childlike manner.

"Basically, when a werewolf imprints they become infatuated with the object of their imprinting," Dixon interjected. "In this case..." He gestured to the love birds – or rather wolf and cat – in question.

"What about you then?" Nico asked Reily.

"Hm?" Reily looked up with her mouth full of sandwich.

"What's your story?"

She swallowed. "Oh, right. Well, there's really not much to tell. I don't remember anything before the age of nine. But what I do remember isn't very exciting. My father was Markus; I was his only real child."

"What do you mean by 'real'?"

"Well, I had eight adopted brothers and sisters."

"Whoa," Vaughn dropped his fork. "That sounds... crowded." He picked it back up again.

"It was, but you get used to it. Er... what else to say? Grew up, moved out, became an Archaeological Linguist. That's pretty much it."

"You moved out at fifteen?" Dixon questioned.

"Twelve, actually."

"Why?" Nico asked.

"Let's just say my home life was a little more than _crowded_, and leave it at that."

We decided it was better to let it go; Reily would talk about it in her own time.

"Anything else, O Curious One?" Vaughn teased Reily.

"I do have a couple more questions."

"Shoot."

"How come you all know so much about Earth? Like, how do you know how to speak English, and how do you have so many things that look like they're from Earth?"

"They don't just look like it," Dixon said. "They _are_ from Earth." 

"How is that possible?"

"Believe it or not, you're not the first _Eîgathèi_ to stumble across this world," I told her.

"You're kidding me?"

"There were several before you, and each one taught us different things about Earth's culture, technology, religion and languages."

"Well, where are these people now?"

"They're scattered across Akloria, hiding from Daegonn," Jason replied.

"So that's how you have things like electricity and firearms and cell phones?"

"Yeah," Vaughn nodded.

"Amazing. What else did you learn?"

"There was a Christian Priest some years ago who taught us about your Christian religion and solitary God." I said.

"And there was a linguist much like yourself who taught us Earth's languages," Vaughn put in. "Nico learned Italian, Dixon learned German, I learned French, and Julia learned Spanish. Sage learned all four plus Portuguese and Arabic. Smartypants."

"How come you all learned different languages?"

"In case we ever found ourselves on Earth, we would be able to communicate with the multitude of people, provided we weren't separated," I explained.

"Smart. What about you?" Reily jerked her head at Jason.

"Ah, I have no patience for language."

"You learned English."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Well, I _had_ to learn that one, I couldn't understand anyone."

"We all learned English simply by communicating with the _Eîgathèi_, and they each in turn learned _Ônaleüriáek_," I said.

"Wow. How come you guys never told me this before?" 

We looked around the table at each other – why hadn't we told her?

"Didn't think of it. Sorry," Vaughn said.

"Ay, ay, ay," Reily put a hand to her head.

I smiled at her expression, then turned to Sage who was finishing off his sandwich and smiled, thinking: _'I'll get the rest of her story out of her somehow.'_ He smiled back. I noticed then that his eyes were quite dark navy, as opposed to their usual sky blue, and he had quite prominent dark circles beneath them.

"Are you thirsty?" I asked him, touching the dark circles.

"Not really," he replied, putting on his poker face; which made me think otherwise.

"You should hunt. You don't need to make yourself uncomfortable."

"I'm alright. I've had three hundred years to accustom to my desires, and a few years to accustom to you alone."

I was unconvinced, but let it go. Then I turned to Reily, and she was doing the one eyebrow thing.

"I'm Sage's _Nài'léiob_." I told her.

"His... what?"

"His Blood Siren." I explained.

"What's a 'Blood Siren'?"

"It's a loose term – it means my blood appeals to him more than any other person."

"Really? Like, how much is that exactly?"

"Think if you were an alcoholic and someone placed the oldest, most appealing bottle of fine port in front of you and filled the room with its aroma, and you had to endure the torture of resisting it," Sage said.

Reily swallowed.

"Exactly. That is what being near Julia is like for me – or was, when I first met her – but I've grown more immune to her now."

I bit my lip. I didn't like that he had to suffer that way on my account. Hadn't the people around me suffered enough already because of my secrets?


	13. Scars Unhealed, Wounds Reopened

12. Scars Unhealed, Wounds Reopened

Four days later, Khoul contacted Corlina with the information regarding the Stronghold. We were all called down to the conference hall once again, hoping and praying that Khoul had something we could use. We took up our respective places and waited for Corlina to patch Khoul through.

"_Okay, I did some digging, and managed to find these..."_

Khoul pulled some papers into view. We examined them and found that they were the initial blueprints for the building.

"You are a freakin' life saver." Vaughn praised.

"_I know. I'll get these to you if you meet me at the reconnaissance mission rendezvous—no, strike that. Meet me two clicks west of Crystal Reef."_

"Why'd you change the location?" Dixon asked.

"_I just remembered Daegonn is watching certain rendezvous that are known to him now. You have no idea how pissed you guys have made him. Julia's number one on the most wanted list."_

Everyone looked at me with unsurprised expressions. I smiled and raised one eyebrow.

"Figures," Jason said simply.

"_Speaking of which, Julia come with them."_

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Why?"

"Are you sure that's wise?" Vaughn questioned.

"_Don't worry, she'll be safe. I'll make sure of it. Khoul out."_

Vaughn looked at me like he was about to protest.

"Well, don't even try and get me to stay here now," I warned him.

He sighed and his shoulders drooped in defeat. "Thanks, Khoul," he muttered.

Two hours later, we found ourselves two clicks west of Crystal Reef, waiting for Khoul. It was cold out but we were used to it – we weren't very rugged up. Even Reily was wearing just pants, boots and a long-sleeve shirt, the same as most of us. Except me, I had a jacket too. Not that it did much good; if we were seen by the enemy they would know straight away that I was pregnant and I would be so fucked... apologies for the pun.

The air was still and we could see our breath in it, the temperature hanging somewhere around five degrees – typical for the middle of January. I could see Reily rubbing her hands together and looking aroun

alertly, like I told her. She caught sight of me and smiled, I smiled back.

"You okay?" she asked. "You look nervous."

Damn. "Khoul doesn't know..."

"Right."

"Wonder why he even asked me to—"

I was interrupted by a metallic sound and a small object flying into the snow at Vaughn's feet. Vaughn picked it up and I recognized it as Khoul's token. Vaughn pulled out his own token and flicked it into the trees in the general direction of where Khoul's came from. And after a moment, Khoul stepped out of the trees. I concealed myself behind Dixon, not wanting Khoul to see me just yet.

"Lieutenant," Khoul greeted Vaughn.

"Lieutenant," Vaughn replied with a juvenile grin, "Good to see you." They returned each others' tokens and gripped hands in a strong grasp of brotherhood.

"You, too."

"You got the blueprints?"

"Yeah." He leant down and swung his pack off, reaching into it and disclosed the papers in question. "It's not much, but it's the best I can do right now. The Stronghold is positively buzzing with activity after what you guys did."

"No matter, Khoul, it'll be enough. I imagine Daegonn's not gonna let this go easily?"

"You have no idea." He looked around at our group for a moment. "Where's Julia?"

Vaughn looked up from the blueprints, then behind himself at me, as I was just stepping out from behind Dixon. Khoul looked confused at first, but then when he saw, realisation dawned on his face. He began to advance towards me, and I mimicked him, very self-conscious. He met me and his eyes swept over me, anger becoming evident in his features.

"Hey," I said insignificantly.

He sucked in a sharp breath and turned his head towards Vaughn. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Couldn't risk it over Comm-link, it's not secure."

He looked at Sage. "Is it what I think?"

"Yes," Sage replied simply.

Khoul sighed and looked at me again.

"Don't look at me like that," I told him. "This was _my_ choice. I bring this upon myself." I shook my head to get back on track. "Why did you ask me here?"

He seemed to remember what that was. "I have something for you." He walked back over to his pack. "Something, I believe, you will be glad to have back."

I stepped towards him, curious; then he pulled out something I had completely forgotten all about. It was brown with big eyes, a little hand-stitched pink and white jacket, and a dodgy left arm.

My bear, Harvey.

I gasped in shock and my feet carried me forward before I knew what I was doing. He handed the bear to me.

"Where did you find this?" I asked him.

"I run patrols near Eàmońn Sô'al sometimes. I found it in what was left of one of the homes. I figured that since it had your name on the foot, it must have belonged to you."

I nodded. "It did." I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. "Khoul, thank you."

"What news?" Vaughn addressed Khoul.

"Well, all's been pretty eerily quiet, apart from Daegonn's ranting about how he's going to 'exact his revenge'" He made quotation gestures with his fingers. "On you guys. He's absolutely fuming that... you got away."

I recognised the hesitation in his voice. "You mean that _I_ got away."

"Yeah. I dunno what you did to him, Julia, but he wants your head for a trophy."

"He's always had a vendetta against me."

"Why?"

"I'd rather not say."

"Okay."

Then Sage snarled and whipped his head around to the north. "Go, Khoul."

Khoul squeezed my shoulder quickly, grabbed his pack and disappeared into the trees. We all whirled around to where Sage was snarling, drew our weapons and listened. I heard what they already had before anyone else, the sound of branches being shoved aside by hurrying feet. They knew we were here, and they knew they had lost the element of surprise. There was a moment of silence before the others heard it too.

"Phoenix, get out of here, now!" Vaughn yelled at me.

I ran over to Jason, who had just come bounding out of the trees in his wolf form, and leaped onto his back.

"Go!" I shouted at him.

Jason shot off into the trees and the pack followed closely behind, meeting up with us at different points. They ran as a group, directly behind Jason and to his sides. There were six in the pack altogether – Jasonali was Alpha Male, then Oscar, Thomas, Liam, Zepher and Harrison, in order of age. I recognised Zepher's sandy fur and Harrison's black fur and white socks running by Jason's sides, and the others at the back. I nodded at Harrison and he grunted softly in reply.

Jason growled and I put my head down, clinging to his neck and trying to hang on to Harvey as we sped through the forest. I couldn't make sense of the scenery flying past my eyes, the wind whipping my hair and stinging my face relentlessly. I could hear Jason's heart thumping at a fast, but steady pace under my ear. I faintly heard the sound of pursuing paws against the earth and Jason thrust his whole body forward, trying to go faster. Then, suddenly, he began to slow down.

"What?" I asked, lifting my head.

I stared straight ahead at a looming tree that had collapsed across the road and down the canyon. Jason growled at me, which I took to mean 'Hold on', and I gripped his huge neck with all my might, knowing I wouldn't constrict his breathing. He gained speed once again when he neared; Oscar, Thomas and Liam broke away from Jason's flanks, stopping dead, whilst Zepher and Harrison remained by his sides, poised to make the monstrous jump. I put my head down and prayed silently, then Jason leapt.

I gripped onto him even tighter for fear of falling as he soared through the air at an impossible altitude. To my great relief, we cleared the tree, landing heavily on the other side. As soon as his paws touched the earth, Jason ploughed on. I petted the side of his neck.

"Well done," I whispered.

I saw his ear twitch towards me in response and we continued on. I heard Zepher and Harrison's paws thud against the earth, and later Oscar, Liam and Thomas. I was glad they were okay and still hot on our heels. I heard no more pursuit for several moments, until I heard bodies crashing through the forest on either side of us.

"Jason!" I yelled.

He forced his muscles harder into the earth, propelling himself faster still. I heard growling coming from the woods beside us, and I caught a glimpse of the black fur of Daegonn's personal wolf guard. Jason panted hard as he slammed his paws into the earth and threw his whole frame forward with each stride. I saw one of the wolves staring straight at me with his accursed eyes, the red rim around its pupils staring into my soul. I hissed at him defiantly, a show of disrespect amongst the people of Akloria, and it growled in response, beginning to gain speed.

"Come on, Jason!" I begged.

Jason panted harder and tried to run faster, but he had already reached his top speed. Behind us, Zepher and Harrison were looking the worse for wear – their mouths open and panting. I decided it would be best to risk a little magic...

"Hold on to your skin!" I told Jason.

And I threw my left hand into the air, chanting the words to my haste spell. A white light shot out from my hand into a radius surrounding the werewolves and suddenly we were almost flying. I held on for all I was worth as the three wolves launched forward at twice the speed they had been travelling. We reached Ashenbark in a matter of seconds.

Once we reached the portal site – the very same portal Reily had come through all those months ago – I jumped off Jason's back and turned with them to meet the pursuers. When they came into view, Jason, Zepher and Harrison were already hidden in the trees. When the wolves saw me standing in the clearing, they charged forward towards me. I snapped my left fingers and my hand lit up in a blaze of glowing fire. They hesitated but continued on their path, then the boys jumped on them. There were seven wolves altogether, but they were no match for the power of the werewolves. And combined with my magic, they were easy foes.

We slaughtered them like... well, animals, then the boys phased back.

"You alright?" Jason asked me.

I nodded, putting a hand to my head. "Fine, just dizzy." I turned to Harrison and Zepher. "Hey, boys," I said. "Long time, no see."

"You too, Jules." Harrison smiled widely at me.

"Was wonderin' when we'd see your face in the field again." Zepher picked me up in one of his famous bear – sorry, _wolf_ – hugs.

"Yeah, can't breathe, Zeph," I said.

"Sorry. Tetsu, Julia, you're _huge_!" he remarked. I slapped him on the arm. "Ow!" he protested, still grinning like a kid.

I smiled at his bone-headedness.

"Come on," Jason said, putting his big arm around my shoulders. "Let's go."

It was an hour or so before the others returned to the Citadel – all accounted for, luckily – and I was sitting on an arm chair in the reading room, holding Harvey, Khoul's gift to me. I was so glad to have him back again. I used to take that bear with me everywhere I went; like my sister, it never left my side until the day Eàmońn Sô'al burned. Looking at Harvey brought back so many wonderful memories... and horrible ones. My emotions were so mixed that I didn't know how to feel about anything in that moment.

"Jules?" Vaughn tried to get my attention, snapping me out of my reverie.

I hadn't even heard him enter I was so lost in my own thoughts. I jumped in surprise and then corrected myself before he could see my face.

"Hey," I croaked.

"Have you been crying?" he demanded.

"No," I lied pathetically.

He sighed and sat next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders. I reached up and wiped my eyes with my fist.

"I can't believe I got him back," I said. "I never went anywhere without him. He was my best mate; the best friend I had, aside my sister. I lost him when..." My voice broke.

"I know." Vaughn rubbed my arm.

"I thought I'd never see him again." I hugged Harvey tight to me.

"Shh," Vaughn soothed. "It's okay."

"I'm sorry, I'm just... hormonal."

He laughed softly and I had to laugh with him. He turned my head towards him and wiped my eyes with his thumbs. I smiled at him and sighed contentedly at his warm touch. He smiled back and leaned his forehead to touch it to mine.

"_N'ráimèo ráusëpiàido."_ he said gently.

"FUCK!"

We whipped our heads around at the noise and leapt up, headed for the infirmary. Whoever had called out just now sounded like they were in a lot of pain. We burst into the infirmary, eyes scanning for the source of the calling out, until they rested upon Reily sitting on one of the stretchers with Dixon by her side. Her leg was covered in blood.

"Reily?!" I called, hurrying over to them. "What the hell happened?!" I demanded of Dixon.

"She was shot as we were escaping."

"Where?"

"In the calf."

"Jesus _Christ_!" Reily called out.

"Reily," I said. She looked up at me with bloodshot eyes from her screaming. "Easy. You'll be okay."

"As long as she stops _moving_!" He glared at Reily.

She gritted her teeth and bit her lip to stop from screaming. I saw blood trickle down her chin. I didn't blame her; being shot wasn't one of my best experiences. I stayed with her as Dixon administered pain killers and she went completely out of it. He dug the bullet out – it looked like a .303 – and proceeded to stitch her up. When she came to, Reily groaned in pain and glared at her now useless leg.

She turned to me. "Hey, Jules,"

"Hey," I replied. "How you feeling?"

"Fucking awful," she replied shortly.

I smiled. "I know the feeling."

"How long 'till I'm bloody outta here?"

"Not long, I imagine. You didn't suffer any significant damage to your leg."

"Yeah... just a gaping hole and the worst pain of my life," she said sarcastically.

"You were lucky. You could have lost your leg."

"That's what Dixon said."

Dixon entered then, holding a chart and clipboard, staring down at it very seriously.

"Speak of the devil," Reily grinned at him.

"Good to see you're awake, Reily." Dixon smiled back. "How do you feel?"

"Ask Julia." She slumped her head back on the pillow.

Dixon chuckled and raised his eyebrows at me questioningly.

"She'll be fine," I said.

"Good."

"Any word from Khoul?"

Reily lifted her head up to listen.

"He made it back to the Stronghold safely," Dixon said "He hasn't been connected with what happened in the clearing – even if those soldiers had seen him, they're dead now."

"Good." I sighed with relief.

Dixon left then, closing the door behind him, looking preoccupied. Reily lifted her head up and met my eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"That bear Khoul gave you... that belonged to—"

"Me," I finished. "Yes. And my sister before me."

"I see. You had it in Eàmońn Sô'al?"

I nodded solemnly.

"I'm sorry," She said.

I shrugged one shoulder. "It's in the past."

"I know how much the past can affect you." She closed her eyes.

"You mean your father?"

Her head shot up again. "How did you—?"

"Please, Reily, I'm not blind – or stupid. I know he abused you; you're not as covert as you like to think."

"Damn," she muttered.

I almost smiled. "It's over now, Reily. He's not gonna hurt you anymore."

"I shouldn't have left Benjamin there on his own."

"It's not like you had a choice."

She sighed. "Yeah."

I grabbed her hand and she smiled, squeezing my hand. I smiled back. "You're gonna be okay."

"Yeah," she nodded.


	14. I've Had Enough Experience Dealing With

13. I've Had Enough Experience Dealing With Sleazes

_March, 1790_

You'd have thought we'd be used to guard details from Crystal Reef, but this experience was... well, interesting to say the least. We got word that the patrol from Crystal Reef was coming back to the Citadel for their routine report in to Caprine. It wasn't a rare occurrence, but it was still a deviation from our normal schedule of sitting around and waiting for something to happen (which we did a little more than we'd like these days), so we reacted with a little more enthusiasm than we would have otherwise.

I was in the Comms Room with Reily and Corlina, doing our routine check on the equipment, when Vaughn made an announcement over our rather quiet PA system:

'_All agents to the portcullis immediately. I repeat: all agents to the portcullis immediately.'_

I raised my eyebrows at Reily who smiled back uneasily. I patted her on the shoulder and farewelled Corlina before heading out to the gate. We met up with the others who were waiting for us just outside the Citadel. Vaughn smiled at me and took my hand, as he often did, as we walked off towards the portcullis. His eyes were on me for a moment, analysing my mood.

He squeezed my hand. "Don't be nervous."

"I'm not." I replied simply.

I didn't want to admit exactly how nervous I was. I felt like I wanted to be sick, but that was probably just my condition. Vaughn nodded and decided not to push it.

"Want me to take the blame for ya?" He asked.

I was slightly shocked. "What? No, why would I want that?"

"So they ease up off your back about it."

"They won't anyway, and they'll just chastise you for it and the whole thing will get more out of hand than it has to be."

"Just an offer. They'll probably jump to conclusions anyway."

"I appreciate it, but I won't burden you like that."

"No burden."

"Vaughn..."

"Okay, like I said, just an offer. It's there if you want it."

"Thanks, but I can handle myself."

He nodded again and focused his eyes front, still holding my hand. I swallowed as we approached the portcullis, and Vaughn squeezed my hand again.

"Easy," He whispered. "I'm here."

I bit my lip and fought to keep from hiding behind Vaughn, as I had in the clearing where we had last met with Khoul, as the portcullis opened. Nico and Dixon stepped forward to greet the newcomers with Reily following closely behind. I stuck to Vaughn's side, while trying to look inconspicuous, as we stepped forward with Reily. There were five soldiers in the group we faced – a standard for the Crystal Reef area. Their commanding officer turned to face us, and stepped forward.

"Which one of you is Lieutenant Vaughn?" He asked.

"That would be me." Vaughn left my side. I stayed close to Reily as he shook the officer's hand.

"Lieutenant, Sergeant Michael Sheen. I've heard many good things about your command here."

"We aim to please. Let me show you to the General."

Vaughn walked ahead of me with the Sergeant deliberately, so he wouldn't notice me. I walked by Reily's side, and the other four soldiers followed us through the many gates and into the Citadel Hall. There we were met by Sage and Jasonali, Caprine, naturally, and the Head of the Cyantine Armed Forces, General Kenneth O'Reilley, coincidentally enough. We halted before the General and saluted out of respect, the Sergeant included, and O'Reilley saluted back.

"Sergeant Sheen," He shook the Sergeant's hand. "Good to see you're still alive."

"You talk as if you expected less of me, General."

The two men laughed.

"Sergeant," Caprine stepped forward and shook his hand also. "I am Lady Caprine."

"A pleasure, My Lady." The Sergeant bowed.

"Welcome to Cyantine Citadel."

"Welcome indeed. No place like a well barricaded fortress to call home."

They laughed again.

"Lieutenant Vaughn?"

"Ma'am?"

"Please show our guests to the barracks."

"Of course, My Lady."

Vaughn gestured for the Sergeant and his men to follow him. As he was walking past, the Sergeant glanced at me and then almost did a double take. I was still standing by Reily's side, but he could clearly see the bulge that was my ever-growing baby belly, and would know what it meant. He also probably had a good idea of my age.

He stared at me outright, but in more of a controlled curiosity than surprise – I returned the stare with a hard expression of warning. He smiled slyly at this before turning to watch where he was going. After the sleazy look he just gave me, I kind of hoped he would keep staring just so I could get the satisfaction of seeing him smack into the wall.

'_No such luck,'_ I sighed.

Sage chuckled under his breath.

My earlier feelings towards Sergeant Sheen were intensified after our first one-on-one encounter in the Comms Room. Reily had to go and help Dixon with some equipment that had broken down, so I was on my own with Corlina, going on with our work from earlier. I heard a knock on the door.

"Please don't tell me you need some of my staggering wit and intellect to figure _this_ one out." I called.

The door opened, and Sergeant Sheen entered.

Remembering my professional integrity, despite the fact I didn't like him very much, I sat up straight and looked apologetic. "Oh, Sergeant. My apologies, I thought you were—"

"No matter," He cut me off. "Am I interrupting anything?"

I looked at Corlina. "No. Please, come in."

He did so and came and sat right in the chair next to me. I shifted uncomfortably a little further away from him. I saw him smile that same sly smile from before and I wanted to wipe it right off his face.

He gestured to Corlina. "So, this must be your construct, then."

"That is correct, Sergeant Sheen." Corlina replied formally. "I am Corlina. I oversee the Citadel and keep everything running sufficiently."

"I see. Corlina."

He sounded amused, like he thought the fact that our construct had a name was funny. What were we supposed to call her? 'Construct'? Didn't have the same ring to it.

"And you would be Miss Julia Thorne, would you not?"

Vaughn must've told him our names. "Yes, I'm Agent Thorne."

"I've heard good things about you in the past. Mostly from the Lieutenant."

I ignored his subtle attempt at trying to figure out whether Vaughn was involved in this. Tetsu, I wasn't stupid.

"Hmm..." He mused, studying me. "Somehow, this is not how I pictured you."

"Why, because you didn't factor pregnancy into the equation?" I stated.

"It would seem so." He replied, still studying me.

He was looking at my belly now – that made me _really_ uncomfortable. I shifted again and he noticed. His eyes shot back up to my face, guiltless of being caught staring. The sly smile came back.

"Still, he speaks highly of you. I'm sure your..." He looked me up and down, like he was checking me out. "... abilities are adequate."

"Last time I checked."

He looked me up and down again. Okay, now I was certain he was checking me out. I was getting a really bad vibe from this guy.

"Tell me, how does a girl your age get herself into so much trouble?"

"That's really none of your business."

"It's my job to make it my business."

"Do you have Alpha clearance?"

"No."

"Then it's none of your business, nor is it your job to make it your business." I stared him down. "Unless you want to break into the Alpha archives which I highly doubt you could accomplish anyway."

The smile wavered – I'd sprung him and he didn't like it. He regained his composure and the smile intensified.

"Lovely talking to you, Agent Thorne."

He left the room, closing the door behind him. Corlina looked at me sympathetically.

"What a sleaze bag." I said.

"I couldn't agree with you more, Julia." Corlina looked mischievous. "Want me to keep an eye on him?"

"Go for it."

I always encouraged Corlina's boldness and persistent nature to break the rules. It was how I rolled and I was still alive. I thought since she was based on a human psyche, she was entitled to her fun, and I would get a kick out of it in the process. She played around with her virtual 'monitors' on her console until she had the surveillance footage tracking Sergeant Sleaze.

I smiled. "Way to go."

She gave me a faux evil grin back. "What someone doesn't know can't hurt them."

"I'm not concerned about hurting _him_."

Corlina laughed.

The following day, I was back in the damn Comms Room, doing the same damn thing as I was the previous day with the same damn results – a big fat pile of absolutely fucking nothing. I sighed exasperatedly and slammed my head down on the desk in frustration, which kinda hurt.

"Ow," I said.

"Are you alright, Julia?" Reily said, popping her head in the door.

I snapped my head up. "Ah, blood rush! Gods I am _so_ fucking tired." I rubbed my eyes.

"Not enough sleep?" Reily came in and sat beside me.

"Mm," I mumbled. "I was tossing and turning most of the night."

"Something on your mind?"

I sighed and lifted my head up. "Not really, just... had a lot to think about."

"Like what? Anything you wanna talk about?"

"I'm fine, thanks, Reily."

Just then, I heard a beeping on the monitor. I sat up and Corlina appeared.

"Looks like we have a hit." She said.

I punched the button for the PA.

"All agents to the Comms Room _immediately_." I said before turning for the door.

Reily followed me out into the corridor where we waited for the others. Didn't take them long – they were all there within thirty seconds. Vaughn trumped up the hall in the lead; I could see Sergeant Sleaze in the back. He caught me staring at him sourly and I looked away.

"What is it?" Vaughn asked.

"We got a hit from Khoul on the Testing Facility."

"What Testing Facility?" Sergeant Sleaze demanded.

"Daegonn has been constructing some kind of Testing Facility at the Stronghold. So far we have little information on its nature, but Khoul has been keeping his eye on it."

We entered the Comms Room and Corlina began working on bringing up the transmission.

"Who's this Khoul?"

"He's our informant inside the Stronghold. He keeps us updated on what's going on at the other end."

"Since when did the Citadel manage to get a double agent inside the Stronghold?"

"Since three years ago."

I looked up at Corlina who was looking sternly at the Sergeant.

"Why have you not been informed, Sergeant Sheen? All operatives under Caprine's command should know of this assignment."

I looked at Sergeant Sheen, wondering myself – just as suspicious as Corlina.

"Not us on the outer rim. Crystal Reef operatives are often kept in the dark – the less we know, the better."

It was a justified answer – one I would have believed were it anyone else. I looked back at Corlina who was raising one eyebrow.

"Very well," She said. "There, I have finished decrypting the transmission."

"Bring it up on-screen." Vaughn said.

Corlina did so and we seemed to be staring at video footage of the outer defensive ring of the Stronghold. It was grainy, but we could clearly make out a building still under construction on the northern side of the Stronghold.

"Is that it?" Nico asked.

"Must be." I replied.

It looked big – really big. Still dwarfed in comparison to the Stronghold itself, but big enough to hold a few containment facilities for unstable plasma.

"Looks like Khoul was right." Vaughn said, clearly thinking the same thing I was.

My mouth twitched – a nervous habit of mine. It looked bad for us, whatever it was.

"What is that?" Sergeant Sleaze piped up.

"That is Daegonn's latest investment – a facility for containing and testing the world's most unstable substance." Vaughn replied.

"You mean Plasma? That's ridiculous. No one can contain and control Plasma that way, it's never been done."

"Well it's about to be, and Daegonn's not gonna hesitate to illicit every resource he has to use this Plasma against us."

"I'm sure he's got other motives."

"Did you hear about the attack of June, '87?"

Sergeant Sleaze raised his eyebrows slightly. "That was you?"

"Yes. Well, Julia, more specifically."

'_Tetsu, Vaughn,'_ I thought. _'Don't drag me into this.'_

Sergeant Sleaze turned to me.

"I hacked into the Stronghold's security system and overloaded the cooling units they had for containing chemicals."

"It destroyed most of the West Wing and the Southern Courtyard." Nico stated.

"Remarkable," he said. "I never would have thought a group of teenagers could have accomplished such a feat."

"We're a more sophisticated organisation than people give us credit for." Dixon defended. "And we're not _all_ teenagers."

I smiled slightly. Most of us were still teenagers. In fact, Jason and Sage were the only two active members who were twenty or older (with centuries of experience). Dixon was nineteen, Nico eighteen, Vaughn seventeen and Reily was fifteen, she'd told me once. I would be fifteen in September – fifteen with a three-month-old baby. Lovely.

"Of course." The Sergeant agreed.

I detected a hint of sarcasm and narrowed my eyes at the screen. This guy was really starting to piss me off. Jason must have been annoyed as well, because I heard him snort. I glanced behind myself at him with my eyes and he twitched his left eyebrow and looked up and then back at me. I smiled – he was rolling his eyes subtly. To my surprise, no one else had heard him snort. Odd. It had seemed loud to me.

"Alright, I think that's it." Corlina shut the footage off.

"Did he send a message?" Vaughn asked.

"No. He's laying low after what happened in the woods last week. He doesn't want to be connected."

"Right. Thank you, Corlina."

"Happy to help, Agent Vaughn."

I probably should have warned Vaughn about the Sergeant, because what happened next wasn't exactly good. Later that day, I was walking through the main corridor on my way to speak to Dixon, when I overheard Vaughn and the Sergeant talking in the Tech Room.

"Quite a good team you have here." The Sergeant said.

"Yeah. They're honest, loyal and they work hard. Couldn't ask for a better team."

"Especially that Julia girl, I imagine?"

I stopped walking and hid behind the doorframe, eavesdropping on the conversation.

"What about her?"

"I imagine she's one of your best."

"What makes you think that?"

"You spoke a moment ago about loyalty. You are aware of the penalties associated with co-worker interrelations? Especially considering her age."

Vaughn chuckled once without humour. Uh-oh, not good. He always did that when he was pissed.

"I don't think Caprine, or the General for that matter, would be too pleased if your little secret got out."

"Okay," Vaughn started. "Let's get a few things straight."

I heard, and felt, Sergeant Sleaze's back slam up against the other side of the wall. I jumped, but didn't speak.

"One: she's not my _girlfriend_," – he jeered the word – "she's my sister, you perverted freak. Two: You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. So back off. Three: If you ever so much as _breathe_ on Julia, I'll rip your gods damn head off. Are we clear?"

There was silence for a moment.

"Yeah," The Sergeant said smugly. "We're clear."

"Good." Vaughn released him.

The Sergeant chuckled. "You've got some nerve, Vaughn."

"It's Lieutenant to you."

"And it's Sergeant to you. Watch yourself, boy. I have power over you, I can end you. Your position, your reputation, all at my fingertips."

"You don't scare me. I know men like you – you're only after one thing. Well, you need to keep looking, because you are _not_ going to get it from us."

And with that, Vaughn left the room. I stopped breathing as he walked in front of me and down the hall in the direction I _had_ been going. I tried to turn around sneakily and walk the other way, but I stepped on a squeaky floorboard. I swore under my breath. Vaughn sighed and stopped walking.

"Julia,"

"Sorry." I said meekly.

He turned around and looked at me. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough. You shouldn't do that."

"Do what? Threaten superior officers?" He chuckled darkly.

I frowned. "No. Stick up for me like that."

"What was I supposed to do? You heard the way he was talking about you!"

"You just-!" I shut my eyes and calmed down. I got upset easily these days. Damn hormones. "Just don't get yourself into trouble, okay? I can look after myself."

"No, you can't. Not anymore, Julia, and the sooner you accept that, the better. Don't you remember what I promised you? I promised you I would protect you. Always."

"You can't protect me from everything, Vaughn. Or every_one_."

I saw hurt flash through Vaughn's face, and with that I walked past him down the hall to meet Dixon. What I'd said was pretty horrible, and I knew it. It wasn't like I blamed Vaughn for what Daegonn did to me, but I felt so confused about everything that was happening in my life that I didn't know what to think. Dixon asked me what was wrong, but I wouldn't talk to him. I didn't talk to anyone for the remainder of the day. Even Reily's usual cheery disposition wasn't enough to snap me out of my slump. As I was leaving her to go home for the night, she caught my arm.

"Hey," She said. "Julia?"

"Mm?" I turned.

"I... you just—promise me you're not gonna try anything stu-"

"I'm fine, Reily, honestly. It's nothing."

I walked away, not giving her a chance to say anything else. I walked back to my apartment angry at myself for what I said to Vaughn. I knew he would forgive me, even though I probably didn't deserve it. Hell, I didn't deserve _him_ – so thoughtful and kind and selfless as he was. I wrestled angrily with my key in the lock.

"Bloody thing," I muttered.

A pair of hands caught mine and turned the key smoothly for me and opened the door.

"Thanks," I said.

"It's okay," Vaughn replied, handing me my keys.

I stepped into my apartment and Vaughn turned to unlock his door opposite to mine.

"Wait, Vaughn."

He turned and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"I'm sorry about before. I don't really know why I said that. Let's not fight, I can't stand it."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. You were right, anyway. I couldn't protect you."

"No, I'm not right, I'm a bitch. I don't blame _you_, Vaughn."

I tried not to make my voice suggestive, but I couldn't help it.

"This isn't _your_ fault, either, Jules."

I didn't say anything, just looked away.

"Julia..."

"Who else am I supposed to blame?"

"Blame _him_. _He_ did this to you. You didn't _ask_ him to-"

"_Please_ don't say it, Vaughn."

He didn't. Instead, he put his hand on my neck and made me look at him. "Listen, don't worry about what happened back there. I'm a big boy; I know what I'm doing."

I laughed humourlessly. "Truth be told, you're just as dangerous to yourself as I am."

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss my forehead. He rested his chin on my head then and sighed.

"Be strong." He told me

"I will."

Then he turned and disappeared into his apartment. I looked after him longingly. There was no one I needed right now more than him, but I would never dare tell him that. Instead I cursed myself under my breath and went into my apartment. I threw my keys and jacket on the kitchen bench, then trumped up the stairs, got into the too-big t-shirt and trackies that I usually slept in, flung myself into bed and flicked off the light. And next thing I knew, I was in the Stronghold.


	15. Always Knew My Past Would Catch Up To Me

14. Always Knew My Past Would Catch Up To Me

I was running. Running from something I feared – from fear itself. Running for life, but not my own. But I found I wasn't running _from_ the fear, I was actually running _to_ it. I burst through a door and a bright light blinded me. When it faded, I clearly saw the scene before me. I was searching – searching for something. Some_one_. Someone I had to protect. I saw Daegonn's face staring back at me; I was afraid, but I didn't show it. Then I saw the someone I was looking for – _her_. My one, my only... my girl. She was scared; her green eyes wide and full of fear. I stared _him_ down ferociously.

"You know you won't be able to protect her from me." He taunted me. "Eventually... I'll find her."

He turned towards me and I braced myself for his attack, but I couldn't defend against him. He moved forward with incredible speed and plunged something sharp straight into my gut.

I woke up screaming and sweating. I sobbed until my lungs felt like they were going to burst. I threw my doona back and found that my stomach was still intact and round with the life growing inside me. I put a hand on the bulge and breathed deeply. Fucking subconscious scaring me like that – why did all my nightmares have to seem so vividly real?

The door flew open then and I screamed in surprise.

"Julia?"

It was just Vaughn. Of course.

"Oh, Gods," I sobbed. "You scared me."

"Are you okay?" He came over and sat in front of me on the bed. "What is it?"

"It's nothing. It was just a dream."

"A dream? Sounded more like a nightmare."

I laughed, wiping my eyes. "Yeah."

He pulled me into a hug and I welcomed it. "Tell me." He said, smoothing my hair.

"Just my subconscious reminding me of what I'll eventually have to face."

"What?"

"This baby... I can't... I won't be able to protect it."

"What do you mean? From Daegonn?"

I nodded slowly. "Somehow... he'll find out. He'll come looking for her."

"Her?"

"I saw it in the dream."

"It was just a dream."

"For now. But it _will_ happen."

"No, it won't. We'll protect you. Both of you."

"You sound so sure."

"I am. I won't let anything happen to you, neither will the others. You're too damn important to us."

I sniffed and sighed. "Thank you."

"Don't be afraid. You're my best friend – my sister. As long as I'm here, you'll always be safe. I promised you, and I intend to keep that promise. No matter what."

I pulled him tighter to me, never wanting to let go. He was my only lifeline – the only thing I held onto. I needed him like I needed air. My brother was the only one standing between me and insanity's door. I couldn't imagine a world without him – there wouldn't _be_ one, not for me.

"You and me," He continued. "We'll always be together."

"Of all the rotten, no good men in the world!" Nico shouted, storming into the Tech Room.

I jumped in surprise at her unusually aggravated tone. I had been typing up a report on the current situation at the Stronghold judging by the footage Khoul had been sending us regularly. I was using my knowledge of the Stronghold and Khoul's information to get an idea of where this Testing Facility was at. Nico scared the absolute crap out of me when she came barging in ranting like a lunatic.

"What's wrong?" I sat up.

"Oh, I never—Oh," She growled.

We then heard big, heavy footsteps thumping down the hall towards us. I counted down under my breath to Jason's inevitable entry. But instead, we heard a _clump_ and saw him sliding along the floor past the door and heard the _thunk_ of him hitting the wall and his subsequent 'Ow.'

I burst into giggles and Nico snickered, unable to hold back from the hilarity of what we had just witnessed.

"I'm good!" Jason called, stumbling back toward the door.

He grabbed onto the frame and pulled himself up onto his knees.

Nico looked at me with mock depression and gestured to Jason. "And I'm paired with _that_."

I shrugged my shoulders, trying not to laugh. Jason narrowed his eyes at Nico with a stupid grin on his face. Nico giggled at his silliness. Jason got onto his feet, came over to her and held her, going in for her lips.

"Oh, _please_!" I whinged, pulling a face and looking away.

"Then don't look," Jason rebuked.

"You're just jealous," Nico teased, winking at me.

"Pfft. Hardly. Unlike you, I don't need to wait on a man's every word to get me by."

"Oh, really? Not even Vaughn's?"

"Ha! In your dreams!"

Nico narrowed her eyes at me and Jason laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever," Jason concluded. He pulled away from Nico so he could look her in the eye. "Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

Nico's mood immediately soured and her face turned angry – not a very fitting expression for her. "Oh, yes, _that_. Well, you've met Sergeant Sheen, haven't you?"

"Briefly. What about him?" Jason mashed his eyebrows.

I narrowed my eyes, already anticipating what she was going to say next.

"Well, I just had a bit of a... confrontation with said _Sergeant_." She said the word with distaste.

"What did he do?" Jason sounded protective now.

"Well, that all depends on what you mean by 'do.'"

"Nico?"

"Let's just say, he's not exactly in check when it comes to his professionalism."

My voice turned dark. "Did he hit on you, too?" I asked.

Nico did a double take at me. "Yes. How did you know...?" She saw the look on my face. "Did he flirt with you as well?"

"Suggestively."

"Son of a bitch!" Jason swore. "When I find that sleaze bag..."

"I'm already on it," I smiled evilly. Nico furrowed her eyebrows questioningly and Jason raised one eyebrow at me. "Don't worry. I am _all_ over this."

Jason grinned and Nico looked worriedly at both of us.

"If past experiences are anything to go by," Nico said. "I am _very_ concerned."

Jason chuckled. "Don't worry, baby, it's okay. I'll protect you."

Nico giggled and the two of them kissed once more. I averted my attention towards the computer screen. I couldn't stand to see them get all gooey like that – truth be told it made me want to be sick. And not because I thought it was disgusting; I thought it was great for them to be together. But seeing anyone together like that brought back things I'd rather not think about. I scowled at the screen.

"Julia?" Jason interrupted my reverie.

"Hm?" I looked up at him.

"Off with the Valkyries again, were we?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Shut up, you."

He smiled and gave Nico one more quick kiss before disappearing out the door and trudging down the hall. Nico looked giddy as she came and sat beside me. I rolled my eyes at her and she laughed.

"He's so overprotective," She said.

"So are you," I smiled.

"I suppose," She shrugged one shoulder.

I continued my typing, trying to focus on what I was writing. Nico noticed my hard expression and hers turned to one of concern.

"Are you alright, Julia?"

I sighed. "Yep. Fine. Wonderful."

"All round peachy, then?" She teased.

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

"Talk to me, Julia."

I stopped typing and leaned back in my seat. I sighed deeply and looked up at the ceiling.

"Has something happened?"

She sounded sincerely panicked, so I thought I should speak before she had a brain haemorrhage, or something.

"No. It's just..." I took a moment. "What if I'm not cut out for this, Nico?"

"Don't talk like that. You'll be fine, we'll help you."

"It's not just being a mother that worries me."

"Is it Daegonn?"

I nodded.

"He'll never find out if we don't let him."

"He will. He'll find out somehow and he'll come for her. I saw it."

"What do you mean, Julia?"

"I dreamed about it – last night."

"Is that what's troubling you?" Nico smoothed my hair. "Oh, Julia... you shouldn't let a dream bother you so."

"But it's only a dream so long as it doesn't happen. And that's what scares me."

"Listen," She put her hand under my chin and turned my head toward her. "Everything will be alright. You'll see." She smiled warmly.

I couldn't help but smile back. I rested my head on her shoulder.

"I wish people would stop telling me that."

"Why? Because it's true and you don't want to admit it?"

I laughed. "No, because I don't want you all to have to go back on your word when everything turns to shit."

Nico sighed. "You're incorrigible."

"What?" I didn't know where Nico picked up her English.

"It means persistent."

"Oh."

She laughed softly and stroked my hair. I closed my eyes and could have gone to sleep right there, but the door flinging open snapped me back into reality pretty fast. Reily trudged in yelling and swearing like I'd never heard her yell and swear before.

"What is it?" I asked.

"That bloody new instructor guy! What's-his-face. Sergeant..." She snapped her fingers.

Nico and I looked at each other. "Sleaze?" We offered in unison.

"Yes, that one!"

"What's he done now?" I asked bitterly.

"What _hasn't _he done?" Reily retorted crossly.

"Did he make suggestions to you as well?" Nico asked

"Ye—wait, what do you mean 'as well'?"

"He flirted with both of us," I stated.

"Son of a bitch!" She swore again.

"I agree," Nico said. "Something ought to be done about him."

"I can't believe his nerve," I said through gritted teeth. "After Vaughn warned him."

"What did Vaughn do?" Nico asked me.

I cringed and bit my lip. Major oops. "Er... nothing. Listen, that's really not important right now. Nico's right, we have to do something about him."

"What do you suggest we do?" Reily asked.

I thought for a moment. "Corlina?"

Corlina popped up. "Yes, Julia?"

"Do you have the surveillance footage from today handy?"

"One moment," She disappeared for a few moments and then brought up the footage.

Nico recognised Sleaze hitting on her in the mess hall. "There!" She called out. "Did you see that?"

"Mm," I replied shortly.

"Slimy bugger," Reily stated.

"Okay, here's what we do," I began. "We keep track of his movements and a record of everything he's said to us."

"And one thing we mustn't do is retaliate physically," Nico recommended. "No matter what he does."

I nodded in agreement.

"We wait for him to make the first move," Reily concluded.

"Right. We've got this under control." I said. Then I turned back to Corlina. "Would you like to do the honours of—?"

"Setting up a section of the surveillance to monitor the Sergeant? Consider it done."

I grinned mischievously.

I was an idiot to believe that a problem like the Sergeant could be dealt with so easily. In fact, it turned out to be so much more complicated than that. If there was one thing I knew, it was that he couldn't be trusted. And he seemed to handle proving our accusations without any help from us. The second time I 'bumped into' the Sergeant was in the Mess Hall – myself and my comrades had been enjoying the midday (or midday-night in our case) meal together as we usually did. Laughing and joking amongst ourselves, passing the time, delaying going back to our dreary work in our various dreary offices with their dreary settings and the dreary lighting inside and out.

I was leaving, on my way to the tech room to do another routine check on the surveillance equipment. I saw the Sergeant coming towards me as I was heading out. I groaned under my breath and walked casually past him, praying that he wouldn't notice me.

"Oh, Julia?" 

Gods dammit. 

I stopped and gritted my teeth. "It's Agent Thorne to you, Sergeant."

"Very well, Agent Thorne."

I turned to face him, and narrowed my eyes at the stupid smirk on his face. "What do you want, Sheen?"

"Could you spare me a moment of your time?" 

"Perhaps," I turned and continued walking. He followed. "For what purpose?"

"I wanted to speak to you about the other day."

My mouth twitched. "What about it?"

"Listen, you seem to be under the impression that I have an ulterior motive. And I can assure you, I have no intentions to harm you or your... friends in any way."

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. I didn't believe him. "Not to worry, Sergeant. I was under no such impression." Gods damn I wanted to smack him so bad.

"I would like you to extend the same sentiment to Agents Adams and Derevko as well."

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll love to hear that." I rolled my eyes.

"Of course..." His voice turned sickeningly friendly. "That is, unless they are willing to negotiate an alternative."

I felt him move closer to me, his foul breath on the back of my neck gave me a chill.

"Are _you_ willing to negotiate an alternative?" He whispered this in my ear, brushing my shoulder with his fingers.

"Don't touch me," I warned him in a low voice.

"Oh, come on, Julia. Don't be a spoil sport, now." He moved his hand down my arm. The way he brushed his fingers along my skin reminded me of that sickening night – when Daegonn had done the same.

I snapped.

I shook my arm out of his grip, turned and right-hooked him as hard as I could across his jaw. I saw blood spray out as he staggered back, smacking against the wall and then falling to his knees.

"I said _don't fucking touch me_!" I yelled.

The mess hall came to life very quickly then. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Reily, Dixon, Nico, Vaughn and General O'Reilly hurrying in our direction.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I heard the General calling calmly. "What's going on here?"

"Ask _that_ sick bastard!" I almost snarled, gesturing in Sleaze's direction.

"Hey, now," O'Reilly tried to calm me down with his soothing tone.

"Easy, Julia," Vaughn murmured to me, grasping my shoulders lightly; ready to hold me back in case I tried something.

Sleaze got to his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth. "You little bitch," He addressed me. "I should have you thrown in the brig for assaulting a superior officer!"

"Go ahead and try," I rebuked, going to move towards him, but Vaughn grabbed me around the chest, holding me back. "But keep your filthy fucking hands off me in the process!" 

"Jules," Vaughn warned me.

"Maybe you need your filthy mouth washed out!" 

"You'd love that, wouldn't you, you slimy _prick_!" 

"Julia!" O'Reilly scolded me.

"You—"

"Enough!" O'Reilly interrupted the Sergeant. "Sergeant Sheen. I want to see you in my office, now!"

Sleaze looked at the General, then left the room with one last glare in my direction. I returned his stare with what I'm sure was a hard expression.

"Vaughn," O'Reilly continued in a softer tone. "Come with me. Dixon, get Julia out of here."

Vaughn gave me a knowing look before leaving with the General, then Dixon escorted me to my apartment with Reily and Nico following closely behind.


	16. Someone Call The Exterminator

15. Someone Call the Exterminator

"Now, would someone care to tell me what the _hell is going on here_?!" I very clearly heard General O'Reilly yelling from down the hall.

It was silent for a moment.

"Sergeant Sheen," O'Reilly continued. "Agent Thorne seems to be under the impression that you have done something to upset her."

"I have done nothing of the sort, General, it was merely a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding," Vaughn repeated sarcastically.

"Lieutenant, this does not concern you."

"Yes, it does concern me! It concerns me when someone makes my sister so angry that she feels the need to punch them in the face! What the fuck did you do to her?"

"Calm down, Lieutenant!" O'Reilly ordered. "You're not helping the situation. But we are going to get to the bottom of this right now."

Nico, who was sitting next to me, noticed my concentrated expression.

"Julia?" 

"Shh," I shushed her. "I'm listening."

She perked her ears up too, then, and I knew she would be hearing the yelling at least.

"Sergeant, why don't you tell me what happened?" O'Reilly was trying to be diplomatic.

"I merely approached Julia with some concerns—"

"What concerns?"

"Concerns about some accusations her friends, Agents Adams and Derevko, had been throwing at me."

"What accusations?"

"The Sergeant here," Vaughn interrupted. "Has been harassing the female staff."

"So they claim..." The Sergeant muttered.

"Listen, you pompous—"

"Enough, Vaughn!" O'Reilly yelled again. "Sergeant, why would these women have reason to claim that you have been harassing them if you haven't?"

"They take my intentions the wrong way."

"And your intentions are?" 

"I am only concerned about this organisation as a whole. The female staff are a part of the organisation, are they not?"

"Vaughn," O'Reilly continued. "What did Julia say to you?" 

"She said that the _Sergeant_..." He jeered the word. "Made a crude suggestion towards her and then put his hand on her arm. She told him not to touch her, but he persisted, so she hit him. Frankly, I don't blame her."

"Sergeant?"

"That is not what happened at all, sir."

"You son of a bitch!" Vaughn lost his temper.

"Lieutenant..." O'Reilly warned.

"Sir, would Julia lie about _this_?" Vaughn deliberately emphasised the word to remind O'Reilly of the reason for my aversion to men, without cluing the Sergeant in.

O'Reilly sighed, clearly unsure how to proceed without outright accusing the Sergeant without proof.

"No, she wouldn't. But nobody saw what happened in the Mess Hall today, and there is no proof to support the other allegations against the Sergeant. It could have been a misunderstanding."

"Oh, _please_!"

"Lieutenant..." O'Reilly sounded like he was about to get annoyed again, but changed his mind. "If Julia and the other women can bring me legible proof of their accusations, then I will accuse the Sergeant, but for now this case is closed. You're dismissed."

"General—" The Sergeant sounded as if he were about to protest.

"Both of you. _Out._"

I heard both Vaughn and Sleaze exit O'Reilly's office.

"This isn't over." Vaughn warned the Sergeant as he trudged down the hall.

I sighed and rested my head in my hand, preparing myself for Vaughn's inevitable entry. I tried to rearrange my features into something that didn't resemble panic, so I settled on anger. Vaughn came in, muttering to himself in Aklorian, then he came over to where I was and kneeled down next to me.

"You okay?" His eyes were filled with an ancient concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lied, lifting my head up, not meeting his gaze.

I could tell he wasn't fooled. He got up and sat next to me on the couch and put his arm around my shoulders. I leaned against him and rested my head on his shoulder.

"So," Nico asked Vaughn. "What now?"

Corlina popped up on the console in my apartment then. "I believe I can be of assistance here."

"Please," Vaughn said.

"As you know, I monitor all progress within the Citadel. I have caught all of these dealings with the Sergeant between Julia, Nico and Reily. I have all the proof you need."

"Enough to officially accuse the Sergeant?"

"That depends on how General O'Reilly sees it."

"O'Reilly is not an unreasonable man," Dixon interjected. "It's unlikely he will pass evidence."

"Either way, we must be careful of how we give him the information. If the Sergeant finds out, it could be perceived as us spying on him."

"And O'Reilly could also decide that he needs to charge Julia with assaulting a superior officer." Vaughn added.

"I don't care, I enjoyed doing it," I said.

Vaughn squeezed my shoulder and looked at me sternly. I looked away from him, down at the coffee table.

Corlina sighed. "I will go and prepare the evidence to give to the General. It may take me a while." And with that she disappeared.

Vaughn sighed and stood up. "I have to go. Reily could you stay here with Julia?"

"Yeah, 'course." She sat down next to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulders.

"Nico and I are late for our meeting with the team from S-SEC," Dixon said. "We'll be back in a couple hours."

"Don't rush, I'll be fine." I assured him.

He nodded and walked toward the door. Nico kissed my forehead and followed after him, leaving the apartment. I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

"Ah, come on. Kisses from Nico aren't that bad." Reily said, trying to be funny.

"I have a headache," I stated simply.

"Do you want me to grab something for you?"

"No, thank you," My tone was blunt, and I sounded a bit rude, so I decided I needed to clarify. "Sorry, I'm just tired."

"It's understandable. Why don't you go have a rest?"

"I have paperwork to do. The war isn't gonna wait for me."

"No, but the paperwork can." She reasoned, smiling. "Go."

"Reily..." My tone became irritated again.

"No 'buts'. Bed, now." She ordered.

I sighed and stood up, trying not to fall over and trudged up the stairs to my room. I shut the door a little louder than necessary, annoyed with myself. Why did I have to hit him? I could've just yelled at him, which would have brought the situation to the others' attention in a less dramatic manner. Oh, that's right, because I'm me – the impulsively violent Julia Thorne. I snorted at the thought.

I took my jacket off and flopped down on the bed, abruptly exhausted. I huffed a sigh and rolled off my back, onto my right side. The clock on my bedside table informed me that it was 9:34pm. No wonder I was so tired. I was normally out like a light at this time these days. I rolled over onto my other side and attempted to sleep, but my mind was too active. I tossed and turned as much was possible with my blimp of a body for about an hour, then gave up.

I got out of bed and trudged back downstairs to find the place empty. Reily must have stepped out for a moment. I shrugged and made my way to the kitchen to make myself a coffee. I stopped halfway there when there was a knock at the door.

'_Must be her.'_ I thought.

I approached the door and had an odd feeling of danger, and I was suddenly wary. I reached over to the table next to my door and opened the drawer that contained my 9mm, took it out and placed it atop the table just in case, then opened the door.

Why did I not have the bloody gun ready?

It was the Sergeant. I was about to say something to him, when he suddenly slammed his arm across my chest and sent me staggering backwards. I knew immediately that I was in deep trouble. I braced myself for a fight, and got my hands ready to use magic on him if necessary. He came storming in the apartment like a man on a mission, and I faced him fearlessly.

"I'm warning you, stay the fuck away from me." I told him.

He said nothing, just came up to me and tried to punch me in the face. I blocked his blow and elbowed him in the face, then I kicked him in the gut. He staggered, but recovered quickly and came straight back at me. He grabbed a bottle off the kitchen bench and swung at me with it. I ducked quickly and backed away. He swung again at my stomach this time and I barely dodged it. I lunged forward when he wasn't ready, and socked him in the face. Blood sprayed from his mouth and got on the kitchen bench.

He looked pissed and went at me relentlessly. I was struggling to dodge everything and he got the upper hand on me, punching me across the mouth. I staggered backwards and fell into the glass coffee table. I felt sharp pains all up my right side and in my face. I was dazed and disoriented. I think I saw a triumphant smile form on his face, but it was hard to see through the red film of my blood streaming down my face. He stalked towards me and was about to grab me by the shoulders when Reily came in. She burst through the door and grabbed the gun on the table.

"Back away now, or you'll get a bullet in your head."

Sleaze approached her and she fired a warning shot in his arm. He cried out in pain and fell to his knees, gripping his arm. Then he quickly got back up and walked towards her swiftly. He knocked the gun out of her hands and it went sliding across the floor over near my feet. I shook my head, trying to shake off the dizziness. Sleaze slammed Reily into the wall and punched her in the face hard. She didn't cry out, she just grunted and took it.

I fought through the haze, reached out and grabbed the gun, lining it up as best I could and fired. I got him in his left shoulder, my aim quite off. He cried out again and fell to the ground. Reily looked at me, her face bloody and her eyes wide. I stared back, then my eyes closed and I fell back onto the blood-soaked carpet.

The next thing I remember was waking up in the infirmary. I still felt the sharp pains in my face and arm, but they were dulled now. I looked around myself and found I was alone. I tried to recall the incident, but discovered that my memory was quite hazy, and I could only remember bits and pieces. My eyes opened completely and I took in the familiar room. I looked down at my right arm to see it bandaged, concealing the extent of the damage I'd surely suffered. I couldn't feel any movement from my stomach, which worried me, but I decided I would wait for Dixon to tell me what was going on before I jumped to hasty conclusions.

It was eleven minutes – according to the clock on the far wall – until Dixon came in. At first he didn't even look at me, he just went straight to the computer that was monitoring me. My throat was dry, and I didn't know if I could speak with much volume, but I found my voice.

"Dixon."

He turned quickly at the sound of his name and smiled, crossing the room to where I was lying in the bed.

"Julia," He said. "I'm so glad you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Fine. A bit sore."

"That's good." He sat in the plastic chair next to the bed.

"What happened?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck with my good hand.

"You don't remember?" He sounded confused.

"I sort of do."

Dixon paused thoughtfully for a moment, probably thinking about how to word what he was about to say.

"Sheen attacked you in your apartment. He tried to kill you and he turned on Reily when she tried to stop him."

"Is she okay?"

"She has a nasty cut on her head, but she'll be fine. You should be more concerned about yourself."

"Like that's ever going to happen." I rolled my eyes. "Did I fall in glass?"

"Yes, Sheen pushed you into the coffee table and it shattered. You had several shards in your arm and your face... and your stomach."

I went into panic mode, my eyes bulging. "Please tell me he didn't hurt—"

"Julia, the baby is fine." He cut me off before I had a seizure or something.

I relaxed and fell back onto the pillow. "Thank the Gods."

"But," I looked at him worriedly. "There were some complications."

"What do you mean 'complications'?"

"The baby was suffering a severe amount of stress from the ordeal. I've run some tests, but I won't know the full extent of what that means until I have the results."

"What does that mean?" I was getting frustrated with his dodging my question.

"It means that there could be something wrong, or it could be nothing at all. Or you could even have problems further down the track – I don't know yet. You have to be patient, okay?"

I sighed. "Okay."

"Good." He looked at his watch. "It may be a while before I get the results. In the meantime, I want you to rest. Don't cause yourself or your baby any more _stress_." He emphasised.

"Okay, I get it." I assured him. "No more stressing."

"Thank you. Now, go back to sleep, before I sedate you."

"Okay!" I said, laughing, a little hysterical from the relief.

Dixon tried to look at me sternly, but it was ruined by his grin. I shut my eyes obediently and he laughed. I found that I was actually exhausted, and I fell asleep quickly. I was woken up by voices in the room. Dixon and Vaughn were talking in hushed tones, but they sounded loud enough in my groggy condition. They were discussing me, of course, thinking that I was asleep. I perked my ears up, without opening my eyes, and listened for a moment.

"How bad is she, exactly?" Vaughn whispered.

"It could have been much worse," Dixon muttered back. "But I still fear for her health. She's suffered too significant an amount of trauma during her pregnancy – it's not good for either of them."

"What do you want me to do?"

"For now, concentrate on interrogating Sheen. We need to find out how long he's been working for Daegonn, and whether he's been in contact with him while he's been here – there's a good chance that Daegonn now knows about Julia's pregnancy."

"I know. Don't worry – I'll get the answers we need."

I became alarmed at this news. I knew that Sheen was working for _him_ – it was obvious to me the moment I saw that crazed look in his eye, not to mention the fact that he'd tried to kill me. But the thought hadn't yet crossed my mind that he could have told Daegonn about my baby. That will destroy any attempts I've made to conceal this from him.

"What about when I'm done," Vaughn continued. "Do you need me to keep an eye on her?"

"I would like it if _someone_, at least was keeping an eye on her constantly. I'm going to send her home tomorrow, and the moment she walks in that apartment, she's on couch arrest, understood?"

"Yeah, you don't need to tell me twice. I'll make sure she doesn't leave the apartment."

"Good. What other news?"

"Nothing from Khoul – even he wasn't aware of Sheen's affiliation with Daegonn. We're going to deal with Sheen first before we return our attention to the testing facility plans."

"Right."

I decided it was time to wake up then. "Couldn't you people take your conversation somewhere else?" I complained jokingly, opening my eyes.

"Hey," Vaughn said, smiling and approaching me. "How you doin', kid?"

"I've been better. Let's not do that again." Vaughn laughed.

"Yes, I'd rather you didn't – I have enough problems on my hands." Dixon teased.

"Doesn't my well being concern you, Dixon? Or have you got more important things to worry about?"

"Of course not, Julia. I'm merely saying that you've managed to land yourself in here far too much this year. And you're not exactly as space-saving as you used to be."

I narrowed my eyes and gave him the finger. He slapped my hand lightly and I dropped it back onto the bed. They both laughed.

"Don't mind him," Vaughn said. "He's glad you're okay, really. So am I."

"Mm," I mumbled. "You have Sheen in custody." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Vaughn narrowed his eyes. I bit my lip and smiled sheepishly. "You were supposed to be sleeping." He scolded half-heartedly.

"How could I sleep with you two yapping?"

"It's not our fault," Dixon interjected. "Your hearing's too sensitive."

"No, it's just younger than yours."

Dixon frowned and gave me evil eyes. I laughed and the motion made my right side burn.

"Ow," I complained, cringing. "Exactly how much glass did I have lodged in my skin?"

"There were several shards in your face, arm and ribs. You were lucky you didn't get any lodged further in your stomach, or it would have meant—"

"Yeah, I get it." I cut him off, not wanting him to finish.

"I have to go," Vaughn said, looking at his watch. "I have a traitor to interrogate." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Look after yourself, Jules." And then he left the room.

I sighed sadly and lay back against the pillow.

"You should rest more, Julia." Dixon instructed me.

"I'm fine," I said automatically.

"You know I really hate that word."

"Sorry."

Dixon shook his head and examined the chart at the end of my bed. "Are you in much pain?"

"Sort of."

"Hmm... time for more meds, I think."

"Does that mean I have to go back to sleep?"

"Good way to pass the time until tomorrow."

"Yeah, you have a point." I conceded.

Dixon put the chart back and approached the IV on my left. He turned up the drip for the pain killers, and they set in almost instantly. My head lolled to the right and I huffed.

Dixon laughed. "Sleep well, Julia."

"'Kay." I said drowsily.

Dixon laughed again and walked back across the room to the computer monitoring my vitals.

I forced my head back up. "Cafu?" I had trouble pronouncing his first name.

"Yes, Julia?" He turned with a grin on his face.

"Next time," I muttered incoherently. "You can take the lead." And then my eyes drooped closed.


	17. All Traitors Deserve To Die

16. All Traitors Deserve to Die

I don't know how I survived the next few days. Being stuck in my dreary apartment was definitely not the most stimulating of things. Vaughn had made sure I stayed on the couch with my feet up on my new wooden coffee table, sticking his head in the door every five seconds. Dixon popped in occasionally, Nico was there most of the time, but I hadn't seen Reily since the incident. This concerned me, as Dixon said that she only suffered a cut to the head. She couldn't still be in the infirmary. So where was she? I decided to ask Dixon the next time he came in.

"Hey, Julia," Dixon said, letting himself in as most people did these days.

"Hey, Dixon,"

"How are you feeling?" He put a hand to my forehead.

"I'm fine. Hey, where's Reily? I haven't seen her all week."

"She's in the meeting at the moment. She didn't want to disturb your rest." Something about his tone made me suspicious.

"Disturb my rest? What's going on?"

"Well, Jules," He paused for a moment, looking like a naughty boy waiting for a scolding from his mother. "She sort of blames herself for what happened."

I exploded. "What?!" I demanded, standing up.

"Easy, Julia," Dixon warned. "Sit down. Don't strain yourself."

I sat back down, still fuming. "How can she blame herself for this?!"

"Keep your voice down," He sat down next to me. "She thinks it's her fault because she left you alone in the apartment. She's kicking herself for it."

"But she was the first one to come in! If it wasn't for her, I'd be dead!"

"She doesn't see it that way."

"Well, she's an idiot." I flopped back against the couch and folded my arms angrily. "Tell her that I want to see her the minute she's out of that meeting."

Dixon sighed. "I will. But don't go being angry at her now, she feels bad enough as it is."

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

"No," He spoke carefully, like he was trying not to get me riled up. "I was just clarifying. You seem upset, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just hate being couped up in here, that's all. It irritates me."

"You know it's for your own good, Julia."

"Yes, I know." I said exasperatedly.

"Alright. I have to go now, but I'll be back later."

"Fine."

Dixon got up off the couch with one last concerned look at me and left the apartment. Once he was gone, I groaned in frustration and flopped sideways across the couch. I spent a good twenty minutes being severely annoyed, and then I inexplicably fell asleep.

I was startled awake by a loud crash in the kitchen and the corresponding yell of 'Shit!' from someone. I shot up and spun around to face the kitchen, completely alert.

"Who's there?" I demanded.

Reily stuck her head out of the kitchen and grinned sheepishly at me. She laughed nervously. "Hi."

"Oh, it's you," I relaxed immediately. "What the hell was that?"

"I dropped something." Her head disappeared again.

"I heard."

I shuffled into the kitchen to find the frying pans in a mess on the floor. Reily was trying to pick them up and put them back.

"That's the wrong cupboard," I stated.

She looked at me and back at the cupboard. "Right. Whoops."

I rolled my eyes and went to help her.

She waved her hand at me. "Ah, ah, ah! I'll do it."

I raised my arms up and backed away. "Top left." I informed her.

She nodded and placed the frypans away, then she continued with making coffee. "You want one?"

"Please," I said, suddenly hankering for a coffee.

It was awkwardly quiet for a moment.

"Ah," Reily began. "So, the boys cleaned up the apartment pretty well."

I couldn't believe she had to _try_ to make conversation with me. I said nothing.

"Julia?"

She turned to face me and saw the annoyed look on my face. She bit her lip.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"What?" She tried to sound innocent.

"Why are you doing this?"

"What am I doing?" She looked at herself self-consciously.

"You're standing there like an idiot, looking awkward, trying to make small talk with me."

"Yes... what's your point?" She looked confused.

I sighed and it turned into a groan. "Reily, what happened wasn't your fault."

She looked shocked, then she exhaled deeply. "You're just saying that."

I got angry suddenly. I walked right up to her and got right in her face. Thank the Gods she was only two inches taller than me.

"It. Wasn't. Your. _Fault_!" I emphasised.

She looked upset, like she was about to cry. "'Course it was fucking my fault – I was the one in charge of you at the time. I left when I should have stayed put and you got hurt because of it."

"You're _so_ impossible! Don't you know by now that everything that happens to me is _my_ fault? I am a magnet for trouble – if there's anything remotely dangerous within a ten mile radius, it's drawn to me! I've come to terms with that, Reily, so stop blaming this on yourself!"

"I could have stopped him from getting to you, though. If I was here, he would have had to have gone through me, which means he _never_ would have touched you."

"Yes he would have! Reily, all he would have had to do was take you out to get to me! The only thing that would have accomplished would be you getting hurt, or _killed_! Do you think I could live with that? Do you think enough people haven't already suffered because of me – because of what I am, of _who_ I am?" Reily got a shocked and confused look across her face. I bit my lip and turned away, with a hand over my mouth.

I cursed myself under my breath – I had said _way_ too much.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Reily demanded.

"Nothing," I said too quickly, making it worse. "Forget I said anything."

"You're hiding something from me."

"It doesn't concern you."

"Doesn't concern me? I work with you, of course it fucking concerns me!"

"No, it doesn't." I said level-headedly, turning back to face her.

"Stop being so bloody condescending to me, Julia! Tell me what the hell is going on, or I swear I will get it out of you one way or another!"

I took an involuntary step backwards. I'd never seen this side of Reily, and truth be told, it scared me. I saw the look on her face, and didn't doubt that she'd follow through with her threat.

"If I told you," I said quietly. "I'd have to kill you."

"You can try. I've been to hell and back, you're gonna have to try harder than _that_, Julia."

"With all due respect... you don't know the meaning of _hell_."

"Don't know the meaning of the word... are you kidding me?"

"You don't know the half of what's going on here, and it's best you don't. Just leave it alone, Reily." I retreated into the living room, knowing she would follow anyway.

She did. "You say I don't know half the story – well I'm all ears." She folded her arms expectantly.

"I told you – you're better off not knowing. It's for your own good that I keep this from you."

She groaned. "Enough with the bullshit, already! Everybody thinks I'm this innocent little kid! None of you know what I've been through, so you can't judge me!"

"I _do_ know what you've been through, Reily! I know everything about you! I know about Markus, I know about Benjamin, I _know_ what happened to you when you were a kid, when you lost your memory! So do me a favour and don't revise history that I lived through!"

Reily looked scared and horrified. She began to back away. "How do you know about that?"

"I..." I wanted to tell her so badly.

Reily backed up into the wall and cringed when the motion hurt her bruises. "I have to go."

She rushed out the door before I had a chance to speak. That was what I wanted – I wanted her to leave. But why did it hurt so much? Why couldn't I just tell her the truth? Why did I have to be the keeper of hazardous secrets? I heard Sage and Jason coming down the hallway. Jason shouted after Reily and followed her, Sage came bursting through the door to find me keeled over on the couch.

"Julia," He blurred to my side in one of his blindingly fast movements and held me. "What happened?"

"Reily's suspicious – I said something I shouldn't have."

"What did you say?"

"I told her, in no uncertain terms, that I'm not who she thinks I am."

"Julia..." He scolded. 

"I know, I fucked up. You don't have to tell me."

He sighed and held me comfortingly. "Don't worry," He whispered. "We'll sort this out."

I exhaled and breathed in Sage's scent – his scent always calmed me. It was the sweetest smell in the world, better than the perfume of any wildflower that I could remember. Jason came in the door, then, and I was surprised to see Reily following. My head shot up as I realised what was about to happen. I had no choice now – I would have to tell her the truth. My eyes welled with tears at the thought of condemning her that way.

Reily stood at the door with her head down. Jason raised an eyebrow at her expectantly. She looked at him hesitantly, then he got fed up and shoved her over to where we were with a bit more force than necessary. She and I stared into each other's eyes for a long moment.

Reily began. "I need to apologise for my behaviour."

"No, you don't," I said strongly. "This is my fault." Sage and Jason groaned too low for Reily to hear. I turned my head towards Sage. "So this is how it's going to be?"

"It's time, Julia. We can't prolong this anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Reily asked, her fingers twitching.

I sighed sadly, and looked at Reily. "Maybe it is time I trusted you with the truth."

"Julia, if this is because of what I said before, then don't worry about it."

"No, you were right. I've been treating you like a child for too long. It's not just me that this concerns anymore. You were never supposed to have made it back here, I'm sorry."

"What do you mean 'made it back'?"

"Not only am _I_ not who you think I am, _you_ are also not who you think you are."

"I remember riddles, I hate riddles. Why are you talking in riddles?"

"Reily... you are not an adopted Irish girl from Rosapenna." I said it slowly, so she could take in what I was saying.

"Julia, what are you trying to say?"

"... And I am not Julia Thorne from Eàmońn Sô'al whose parents were killed in the massacre."

Reily had her hand on the back of her neck, rubbing the mark she had there – the mark that made her what she was.

"If you're not Julia Thorne," She said. "Who are you?"

I looked up at her, meeting her accusing gaze and prepared myself to seal both our fates.

_April, 1790_

Reily hadn't spoken to me in weeks. I knew she would need time to consider everything I'd told her, but how much time did she need? I knew that telling her the truth was the right thing to do – it was her truth too, after all. But sometimes I wondered if I should have just lied instead to appease her curiosity. It was too late now, in any case. She knew the truth now, and she would have to accept it one way or another. But would she accept me for who I was? About that I wasn't so sure.

She didn't even look at me in meetings or in the mess hall or even if we passed each other in the corridor. This was a problem, because half of our professionalism relied on our ability to communicate. It wasn't only me she ignored, either – when the others asked her if she was okay, she would just mumble a reply and walk away. I was starting to think I'd made a huge mistake in telling her everything. But my fears were soon settled when, at last, Reily approached me in the Tech Room.

She knocked on the door and I muttered "Come in" not expecting at all to see her there. She walked in and I did a double take, my eyes going wide.

"Reily," I said.

She didn't say anything, just shuffled in the room and closed the door behind her. She walked towards me and I moved over on the couch, shifting my laptop on the coffee table and moving my coffee from where she was about to put her feet. She made herself comfortable and pulled her legs up to her chest. She didn't look at me, she didn't speak and I wondered if she expected me to say something.

But I didn't even know where to start. What do you say to someone who's just been told that their whole life was a lie? What if you were the one who told them and it's your fault? What do you do to make that right again? I had a million questions going around in my head as Reily sat by my side, looking empty. I pretended to concentrate on my work, until I heard her sniffle. I looked over and saw the tears silently streaming down her cheeks.

I didn't know what to say. I just stared at her blank, lifeless face and felt like the sadness in her eyes was tearing a hole through my chest. I wanted to reach out to her, I wanted to say something meaningful and compassionate and make all her troubles go away. But I couldn't find my voice, and yet I held my tongue.

'_Reily will talk in her own time,'_ I reminded myself sternly. _'Don't push her. Give her time.'_

I turned away, refocusing my eyes on the laptop screen, but my attention was still on her. I waited for her to speak, move... something. But, nothing – she just sat and stared unseeing down at the coffee table. I guessed her thoughts were a million miles away in the memories of her false past. I empathised with her – I knew how she felt.

Reily sighed very quietly, as if to herself, and then gave up, rising and turning to leave the room. I would have stopped her, but as she turned a piece of paper fell from her hands and I grabbed it before she even noticed it had fallen. I opened it up:

Julia,

I'm sorry. I guess I was just looking for company and reassurance. I guess it's going to take more time. If you want to talk, I'm happy to.

R.B.

"R.B."? Her initials were 'R.A.' I looked up to ask her about it, but she was already gone. I felt the draught through the closing door and then it latched shut and the finality hung ringing in the air.


	18. Aklorians – Masters At Showing Up Un

17. Aklorians – Masters at Showing up Unannounced

I can be so brain dead sometimes. I was sitting on the couch in my apartment, poking my bloated belly to see if it would poke back. And I actually got annoyed when it didn't. I was bored. I was still on couch arrest, though I had been allowed in the Tech Room yesterday to get Corlina's help. I hadn't seen Reily since then, and that worried me as she seemed to be under the impression that I didn't want to talk to her. I had thought she didn't want to talk to me until I read her note.

I was grateful that Reily hadn't addressed me by my real name in her letter – it was considerate of her. But the fact that she wrote her initials "R.B." still confused me. Why did she suddenly decide to call herself by her real last name? Had she accepted her past and moved on? Had she really done that so quickly? My head went into overdrive and I abandoned my attempts at breaking my boredom and left my belly alone.

I decided I had to talk to her and I had to do it now. I got up off the couch, pushing off the back of it with one arm and supporting my back with the other. At seven months pregnant, I was absolutely fucking huge and hating every minute of it. Well, that's not entirely true; I did have moments where I thought it might all be worthwhile. Then I remembered the reason I was in this situation in the first place and it brought me back to the memories that I tried to forget.

I shook my head, refocusing on the problem at hand – I had to talk to Reily. I had to know what was going on in her head. I trudged out of the apartment like a woman on a mission and just about collided straight into Vaughn.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed, jumping sideways to avoid my oversized abdomen.

"Sorry," I said, laughing. "I was miles away."

"It's alright." He put his hand on my back. "Where you headed?"

"I have to speak to Reily." I continued walking and he walked with me, his arm across my back.

"Oh," His tone made me think he and the others had been talking behind our backs. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"Look at this."

I handed him the note. He took a moment to read it and then he mashed his eyebrows together in confusion.

"R.B.?" He said, looking at me with a confused expression.

I nodded and shrugged one shoulder.

"Does she mean B—"

I clamped my hand over his mouth before he could continue and glared at him.

"Yes," I said quietly. "She means _that_." I dropped my hand.

"Okay," Vaughn continued. "Why would she write that?"

"That's what's vexing me." I pinched my forehead. "I need to ask her what she's thinking."

"Go ahead. Your funeral."

I rolled my eyes and groaned.

"Hey, how are you, by the way?" He said a little too cheerfully, trying to distract me.

"Wonderful," I replied curtly. "Fabulous."

"I get it." He said wearily, shaking his head.

I realised I was being rude. I sighed. "I'm fine, really. A bit scared, maybe."

"Yeah, not long to go now."

"Don't remind me."

"You know you ought to start charging that thing storage."

I laughed. "That _thing_ is my baby."

"Whatever, but it's starting to take up too much space."

"_She_," I corrected.

Vaughn's eyes went wide. "She? When did you find that out?"

"Dixon told me last week. He'd been keeping it a secret, but I wanted to know."

"I'll bet you're stoked with that."

"I'm not getting my hopes up, 'cos he's only 90% sure."

"Got any names in mind?"

"Not yet. I haven't really thought about it."

"Well, you better get started."

"Mm." I suddenly wondered why I hadn't thought about it yet.

"I always liked 'Kazel' for a boy."

I grinned and narrowed my eyes at him, then backhanded him in the gut.

"Ow!" He protested, laughing.

I stuck my tongue out at him in a most childish manner and continued to lead on. "You never did tell me what happened with Sheen, by the way."

He was suddenly morose. "We took care of it."

I didn't reply, just stared straight ahead as we walked.

"Julia?"

"Hm?" I pretended I wasn't listening.

"He was a traitor. He deserved his fate."

"I know that," I snapped. "Did you get anything out of him?"

"Nothing – he wouldn't talk. Daegonn has those guys brainwashed well enough."

I narrowed my eyes angrily at the mention of _him_. I clenched my fist and Vaughn noticed.

"Jules..." He warned me.

"I hate this," I said venomously. "I hate that I can't go out there and fight him."

"You listen to me," He ordered sternly, blocking my path. "As long as I'm still breathing, he's not coming within a hundred feet of you. Not after this," He gestured to me and my hugeness. "I won't allow it."

"Once I'm free of the weight that holds me down, not even _you_ will be able to stop me from getting the justice I am owed." My voice was low and I saw that my tone made Vaughn uneasy.

"You will have your justice, but for the good of your country – not for your own personal desire."

"Maybe I would have agreed with you before, but since he did this to me, _everything_ is personal! And if there's one thing he and I have in common, it's that we both will stop at _nothing_ to get what we want."

"You don't have anything in common with that monster."

"We'll see."

With that I walked past him towards the training ground. I knew that was where Reily went when she was feeling down – to smash things. He didn't follow and I heard him sigh in frustration and walk towards the Citadel Hall. I kept walking, approached the door to the training grounds, opened it and stuck my head in.

"Reily?"

I stepped into the grounds behind the door, my head sticking out and nearly got it taken off by a knife hurtling in my direction. I didn't have time to jump out of the way, I just stared wide eyed as the knife flew inches past my face and stuck into the wall to my right. I permitted myself to breathe again and glared at Reily who was standing sheepishly in the corner of the room.

"Sorry," She apologised.

"Good thing your aim's improved," I said, yanking the knife out of the wood. "If you'd done that eight months ago, you'd have killed me."

She chuckled nervously and I threw the knife back to her. I could see her eyes assessing its path as it whirled towards her. She caught it by the hilt with one hand and returned it to its rightful place with the other various sharp and dangerous items we used for practice. She seemed to notice my annoyance through the facade of sympathy for her that I was putting on.

"What's wrong?" She asked timidly.

"Oh," I was about to launch into the conversation I just had with Vaughn, then I remembered why I was here in the first place and I decided against it. "It's just Vaughn, don't worry about it."

"Okay." She didn't seem like she wanted to argue.

"Listen, Reily," I started.

Reily stopped dead in her tracks and cringed. "Should I be sitting down?"

She was trying to be funny. I groaned internally. "Maybe we should take this conversation somewhere else." It was probably a good idea for her to sit down.

"Where did you have in mind?"

"The Interview Room – it's secure."

"So much for a heart-to-heart chat," Reily mumbled under her breath. "Fine, lead the way."

I turned on my heel and led her out and across the Citadel Gardens, into the Citadel Hall and up three flights of stairs, down a short hall to a door at the end marked "Interview Room". I fished out my keys and unlocked the door, motioning for Reily to enter. I went in after her and locked the door behind us. Inside the walls were a dull beige, there was a pine table in the middle of the room with various miss-matched chairs surrounding it. There was a projector on one end and a screen at the other. I turned the light on, and with the light, it looked welcoming enough.

Reily seemed confused – she'd never been in this room after all, and it probably wasn't what she was expecting. "I thought this place was all about order." She said, raising one eyebrow.

I smiled. "This is a place for secrets to be shared, away from the enemies' eyes and ears. Privately it's known as the 'Confession Room.'" I explained.

Reily shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs. I sat across from her and laid my hands on my belly, looking down. Reily started subconsciously rubbing the back of her neck like she did often now. She looked at me then, but I didn't look up from staring at the tabletop. Suddenly I lacked courage – I couldn't find the words I had felt I needed to say.

"I still can't remember anything." Reily said suddenly.

"You won't yet," I replied, happy to have the silence broken. "Not until I take you to... well, you'll understand when we go there."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a lady called Theresa, would it?"

My eyes went wide and I looked up at her in shock. "How do you know about Theresa?" I demanded.

She put her arms up in defence. "It just came to my head, alright? I don't even know what I'm talking about."

I backed down, realising my reaction had upset her. "It just came to you? Just now?"

"Yeah, just the name."

I decided honesty was the best policy at this point. "Yes, it does have _everything_ to do with Theresa." I began. "Theresa is an old woman who lives near the outskirts of the mountains. She's been around for hundreds of years, since the beginning of the Spartans – she's immortal. She's a seer, she sees the future."

"And she lives at this place you're taking me?"

"She lives near it, yes. Theresa can tell you everything you want to know. But first I have to take you to the place that will help you understand her answers to your questions."

Reily cocked her head to the side. "Does she speak in riddles?"

I grinned. "For the better part."

"Great." She glared at nothing in particular.

It was silent for a moment, then I started the conversation I came here to have. "I got your note."

Reily looked up at me, and then away, suddenly gloomy. She began to fidget with her hair. "Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

I nodded, looking down, ashamed. "Yes."

Reily was visibly upset for a reason I didn't understand. "I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare apologise to me," I growled, suddenly fuming. "I'm the one who dragged you into this!"

She looked like she was choking back tears. "No, I mean I'm sorry for not thinking. I shouldn't have written those initials on there." She was shaking.

"What?" I was confused. "That doesn't matter." I wondered why she thought it would.

"But if someone else had found it..."

"I burned it in the blacksmith's furnace on my way into the training grounds."

Reily looked at me and I looked back. I saw the tears streaming down her face. I was hit with another wave of guilt as I saw the sadness in her eyes. I looked away.

"I just want to remember," Reily continued. "Remember what you were to me."

"You will. Everything will be revealed when I take you to this place. But it's going to have to wait, as only... one of my kind can enter it."

Reily jumped up suddenly, ran over and hugged me. I was shocked at first, but I welcomed her embrace, unexpected as it was. I had thought she was upset with me, or mad, or disappointed. I wouldn't have blamed her if she'd hated me.

"Thank you." She whispered.

I held her tight and a traitor tear escaped down my cheek. I was suddenly overcome with feelings of despair. I exhaled shakily and Reily broke away from me.

"I've never had anyone care for me like you do."

"Of course I care," I said, my voice quivering. "I care more than I let on, but I have to conceal my emotions. It's the only way I'll ever be strong enough."

Reily really looked at me then and noticed the tear. "Are... are you crying?" She asked, bewildered.

I laughed at her tone and another tear spilled over. "I guess I am." I wiped my eye and sniffed.

Reily hugged me again. "Thanks. For everything."

"Please don't thank me, Reily." I begged her. "You have no idea what you're in the middle of here. What I've gotten you into."

Reily pulled away and looked at me sombrely. "I have a feeling something bad's going to happen."

"You wouldn't be wrong. Something bad always happens here." Reily was rubbing her arms as if they were annoying her. I frowned in confusion. "What is it?"

"Dunno," She said, shaking her head. "Just feels... weird."

I reached over and touched her arm with my left hand, and the reaction I got I wasn't expecting. The Brand of what I was on my hand lit up and I felt like I'd been zapped by an electric fence.

"Ah!" I protested, pulling my hand away. "What the...?"

"You okay?" Reily asked.

"Yeah." I realised now that Reily would be wondering what I hid under the fingerless glove I always wore on my left hand, concealing my Brand.

"What was that?" She looked at my hand.

I sighed and removed the glove, exposing my Brand for the first time in a long time. The cool air felt good on the skin of my Brand. Reily examined it curiously. She reached out and touched it, and both of us felt the reaction between my Brand and the Brand on the back of her neck. She put the pieces together in her mind and looked at me in shock.

"We're the same, Reily," I told her. "You and I. You are what I am."

She was tongue tied for a moment. "How?"

"I can't tell you that, not yet. You need to see for yourself."

She thought for a moment. "I saw something... a similar Brand. On..." She seemed to realise something then. "Daegonn's arm."

I sucked in a sharp breath, looked away and cursed under my breath. "I was hoping you hadn't seen it."

"He's the same as us, isn't he?"

I sighed and looked back at her. "Yes, he is one of our kind. However, you don't have any connection with him... I do."

"You can choose your friends, but not your relatives." Reily said empathetically.

"Yeah," I agreed half-heartedly.

I was looking straight ahead, with my hands on my belly, rubbing it absentmindedly. Reily looked at me.

"Kid's gonna be lucky."

I scoffed. "Yeah, _real_ lucky to be growing up in a place like this with a messed up fourteen-year-old for a mother."

She shrugged. "Could be worse."

"How, exactly?"

"I know it may not seem like it, but there's nothing worse than growing up not knowing your parents. You may have people there to help, but... nothing can replace... well, you get the picture."

"The only thing that's worse than not knowing your parents is having an emotionally damaged mother and a psycho sadist lord for a father. Not to mention the fact that he's related to me and he's trying to kill me and take over the entire world. Yeah, 'cos that's not worse at all!" Little bit heavy on the sarcasm.

"Okay, fine, sorry I mentioned anything." She backed down.

"If you knew who he is... you wouldn't be so cavalier about what's going on here."

"Guess I'll find out eventually, so..."

"That's what scares me."

"Look, I know you wanted to stop... whatever it was that's meant to happen to me. But, we can't always stop things. They happen for a reason, don't they?"

"I don't believe in the power of reason."

"But you believe in your Gods, don't you?"

I paused. "These days I'm not so sure."

"I used to tell myself things would get worse before they got better." Reily looked at me and smiled a small smile.

I didn't return it, just stared back sadly. "Things never get better here. Everything stays the same until it gets worse. We can't win this fight, Reily. We're not going to win this war, I've accepted that fact. I never planned on living through this anyway." I looked down.

"If I had that attitude on Earth, I wouldn't be sitting here now. Markus would have killed me long ago. But I knew I had something to fight for – a life away from him. I eventually got it."

"And what do I have to fight for, Reily?"

"Vaughn. Your child. Anything that is of value to you. 'Cos if you don't fight for it, then no one will. Then you'll lose it forever."

We were interrupted then by our Comms going off.

"_Phoenix, Sidewinder, do you copy?"_ Vaughn sounded through our ears.

"Copy, Boy Scout, what is it?" I wondered why he was using the comm link instead of the P.A. and then I realised it could mean only one thing.

"_We have a situation – the Citadel's been breached. Someone has broken into the Tech Room and removed Corlina from the system. You two have to get down there now!"_

"We're on our way."

Reily and I jumped up and took off down the hall, back down the stairs and towards the Tech Room. We burst through the door simultaneously and crossed the room to Corlina's console – she wasn't there and the room was dark and seemed empty. But I felt something sinister; a presence. Daegonn was in the room. I heard the whistle of air being disturbed.

"Reily, get down!" I pulled Reily to the ground as a fire extinguisher flew through the air where our heads used to be.

"Go, go!" She shouted at me.

This time I didn't protest. I prayed that he hadn't already seen me as I ran across the room and disappeared down a hatch in the floor, shutting it after me. I ran like a mad person down the underground tunnel, pumping my legs as fast as they would go. I wanted to go back and help Reily, but I couldn't turn. I wasn't running for long before I looked around and Daegonn was suddenly pursuing me.

"Oh, shit!" I muttered to myself.

I pushed myself faster, knowing I didn't have long to go before the end of the tunnel. He was gaining on me fast and I tried to go faster, but my legs were failing me. I could see the red haze from the lava at the end that lead out into Devil's Belch Canyon. Almost there. I sprinted for all I was worth and finally came out into the clearing, but I didn't slow, I kept running.

'_Come on, where are you?'_ I thought desperately.

Then my prayers were answered – the pack jumped out of nowhere and cornered my pursuer. I dived into the dead trees surrounding one side of the clearing and hid behind a big rock. I could hear the pack snapping and snarling at Daegonn. Then I heard them charge and one of them whined and flew into the other side of my rock. I gasped but didn't look, and the wolf staggered to its feet, snarling. I looked around and saw that the pack was chasing Daegonn out of the clearing. He flew through the trees and his soldiers jumped out of nowhere and faced the pack.

I stood up and prepared myself to fight. Jason snarled at his pack to prepare themselves and then he looked very deliberately at me and growled, shaking his head. I groaned and got back down, peeping out from the side of the rock, ready to help if I was needed. But it wasn't necessary; the pack took the soldiers down easily in little time. Once they were all dead, Jason phased and came jogging over to me. I stood up and went around the rock.

"You alright, kid?"

"Yeah, I'm good..." My voice trailed off as I was suddenly dizzy and I grabbed hold of the rock for support.

Jason reached out and steadied me. "Easy. Come on, let's get you back home." I nodded and Jason put his arm around my shoulder to help me. I tried to step forward, but I staggered and just about fell over. "I know you don't like it, but too bad. I'm carrying you."

I didn't protest as he gently picked me up and cradled me in his arms. I was amazed he could carry me, huge as I was. Then again, he was a werewolf. He led the way back to the Citadel and the rest of the pack stayed phased in case of trouble.

"What was he doing here anyway?" Jason asked no one in particular.

"He grabbed Corlina," I told him.

Jason stopped dead in his tracks and looked at me. I waited for him to explode, but instead he looked away and kept walking.

"What?" I demanded.

He sighed. "Let's hope she was smart enough to wipe her memory before he grabbed her."

"Let's hope," I agreed.

We made the rest of the journey in silence. Once we returned to the Citadel, the rest of the pack phased back. Caprine and Vaughn were waiting for us outside the Hall.

"Julia!" I heard Vaughn's worried voice.

"I'm fine, Vaughn." I assured him.

He turned to Jason. "What happened, where did he go?"

"She was just tired from running. The bastard got away." There was an underlying growl in his voice.

"Where's Reily?" I asked Vaughn.

"In the infirmary, Daegonn knocked her out, but we don't think she's hurt."

"We'll meet you guys there." Jason carried me through to the infirmary with Vaughn following at his side.

We walked into the infirmary to see Dixon looking Reily over. He jumped in surprise at our entry.

"Julia," He said, walking over to me. "What happened?"

Jason chuckled. "It's more physical exercise than she's used to."

I glared at him as he laid me down on the bed. "How's Reily?" I asked Dixon.

"Out like a light. She appears to have some bleeding from her back which I need to look at."

"I'm fine, focus on her." I ordered.

He frowned, but did as I said. Jason helped Dixon to roll Reily over and they found it was a gash across her back that probably happened when she was knocked out. It wasn't too serious. Dixon began to work stitching her up and Jason helped him. Vaughn stayed by my side.

"You should go," I told him. "Figure out our next move."

"You sure?" I nodded. "Okay. Take care of yourself."

He left the room and jogged down the hall. Jason looked at me sceptically.

"What?"

"Nothin'," He turned his head away.

I frowned. "What?" I persisted.

"Just seems you didn't want Vaughn to see something."

"He has more important things to worry about than me right now."

Jason shook his head and sighed. "Whatever you reckon."

Dixon looked around Jason at me. "Do you have any idea what these are from?" He gestured to the scars already scattered across Reily's back.

"Just from her past." I replied.

Jason snorted. "Some past."

I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. Jason looked at me, unconvinced and I shook my head.

"Either way, I'll have to ask her about them when she wakes up." Dixon said.

"I don't think that's a good idea." I interjected.

"Why?" He looked puzzled.

"She doesn't like to talk about it. It's not important anyway."

"Okay..." Dixon returned to patching up the new wound that would no doubt scar.

Jason gently traced one of the scars with his fingers. "It worries me what made this."

I ignored his comment, and looked away, at the window – the blind was down.

"It could have been a hot, metal object of some description." Dixon muttered through the plastic bag containing medical supplies he had in his mouth.

"I find whoever did this, they're a dead man."

I pretended I wasn't listening and fiddled with a loose strand of my hair. I felt a pain in my abdomen then and I gasped and gripped my stomach.

Jason noticed and became alarmed. "What is it, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing. She's just kicking." I exhaled. "That hurt."

"Kid's gonna be a fighter, just like her mother."

"I hope not."

Jason shook his head and returned to helping Dixon. Not long after that, they both left to attend a meeting. I craned my neck to get a good look at Reily's scars. They were nasty, some straight, some jagged and some blister-like, going in all different directions and in different sizes. I wondered what she had endured at the hands of her 'father.'

Reily stirred then and groaned, rolling over onto her back and then she called out at the pain.

"Don't lie on your back." I instructed her.

She looked over at me. "What the hell happened?"

"You got into a bit of a tiff with Daegonn."

"Surprised I'm still alive."

"He took Corlina – he needed to make a quick getaway."

"What happened to my back?" 

"We're not sure, Vaughn said you fell on something."

She shook her head. "I don't remember what." She tried to lift herself up off the bed.

"Dixon said to stay here 'till he gets back."

"And give him a chance to question me about my back? Uh-uh, no way." She started to stand up.

"Reily, I already told him he has to mind his own business, now would you sit down please? Don't make me come over there."

She groaned. "What are you, my mother?"

"Close enough." I muttered to myself.

"I heard that." She stated.

I shrugged.

She shook her head. "Well, either way, I'm outta here."

"Oh, no, you don't." I said, starting to get up.

"Julia, I'll be fine, I've had worse."

I glared at her. "Stay. That's an order."

"Julia, please, I can't stay here."

"Yes, you can and you will."

She groaned exasperatedly. "Fine, if it'll get you to shut up." She sat back down.

I rolled my eyes and sat up, trying to get more comfortable. My eyes wandered around the room aimlessly for a bit, before I leaned back against the pillow, abruptly exhausted. I exhaled and pinched my forehead. Reily rolled onto her stomach and groaned, muttering under her breath.

"A fire extinguisher?" She was mumbling. "Who uses a fucking fire extinguisher? Seriously!"

I scoffed and chuckled.

"Shut up, preggers." Reily hissed at me.

I narrowed my eyes and searched around myself for something to throw at her. I noticed a pen on the table next to the bed, and I very quietly picked it up and ditched it at her head. It hit her in the back of her head and she shot up in surprise.

"Ow!" She protested. "Ow, my back." She glared at me. "Fuck you."

I smiled sweetly at her, narrowing my eyes and then looked away, back at the window. Next minute, the pen came hurtling back and whacked me right on my forehead. I started and looked at Reily, she was grinning from ear to ear.

I glared at her. "It's on."

The previously calm and quiet atmosphere erupted into an all-out throwing war. Each side got in a couple of good hits before Dixon and Vaughn came in and broke up the party.

"All right, that's enough you two." Dixon said as he entered.

"Come on, Reily." Vaughn warned as she was about to throw another object in my direction.

She tried to pout, but it was ruined by her evil grin. She lowered her arm and replaced the object on the desk at the foot of her bed. All three of us laughed.

"Good to see you up, Reily," Dixon continued, crossing the room to where Reily sat. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better." She replied, stretching her shoulders and wincing as the action pulled at her stitches.

"I had to give you a few stitches," Dixon leaned down to make sure she hadn't pulled them out already with her zealousness. "It's going to be uncomfortable for a little while. Don't sleep on your back for the next week or so."

Reily groaned and flopped sideways on the bed. "Ow."

I laughed. I saw Vaughn look at me out of the corner of my eye and I returned his gaze. In the instant our eyes met, I was certain our fight from earlier wasn't forgotten. I looked away guiltily – I felt terrible for the way I'd spoken to him, and I knew I needed to apologise. But it would have to wait, as we had a more important matter to be dealt with – our missing construct.


	19. Curiosity Killed The Construct

18. Curiosity Killed The Construct

We had a meeting the following morning to find out exactly how it was that Daegonn had gotten into the Citadel in the first place. No sooner had myself and Reily walked in the room then Caprine began.

"As you all know, at 1130 hours yesterday morning, the Citadel was breached by Daegonn Bristow. We have to assume that our internal security has been compromised as he has managed not only to infiltrate our most secure wing, but also to take Corlina from the system. We have to operate under the assumption that he either needs her for something only she can do, or that he needs data from her memory."

"The only thing Corlina knows that could be of any use to him would be information about the Citadel's internal network." Vaughn pointed out.

"That's a good point, Agent Vaughn, and a likely reason for Daegonn's capture of Corlina."

"How did he get inside the Citadel in the first place?" I demanded.

"Surveillance footage shows he practically just walked in the front door. It's safe to assume that he had inside help."

"Sheen?" Nico offered.

"He could have been feeding Daegonn information during his time here. Which means it's also likely that he now knows about Julia's condition."

"I don't think he does." I said.

"Julia, he chased you through the tunnel." Vaughn reminded me.

"As he would have even if he didn't know. If Sheen had told him about me, then you'd think he would have made more of an effort to get to me. He didn't – he ran away."

"So if it wasn't Sheen, then who?" Dixon asked.

"That's what we need to find out." Caprine continued. "We also need to get Corlina back before Daegonn recovers anything from her memory."

"She won't give it up easily." Jason reminded her.

"She's a machine – she's completely defenceless." Caprine pointed out.

"Um, has anyone actually checked to see if she left anything behind?" Reily asked.

"We searched the Comms Room after Daegonn left, there was nothing there." Vaughn replied.

"Well, what about within the network?" I inquired.

Everyone turned an expectant expression towards Vaughn.

"What do you mean?" He questioned me.

"It's possible Corlina left a message behind for us within the network. We can access it through the computers."

"Head up to the Tech Room now, then." Caprine said to me.

I wasted no time; I walked out of the Conference Hall, up the stairs, down the corridor and into the Tech Room, the others trailing behind me. I sat down at the desk and fired up one of the desktops, drumming my fingers on the wooden desk impatiently. The others filed in by the time the thing was whirring to life. Vaughn and Reily came to stand by my sides, leaning over my shoulders, peering at the screen. Probably trying to use telekinesis to will the thing to go faster. I rolled my eyes at them. The drumming got louder and quicker, and Vaughn laid a warm hand over mine to quiet my agitated fingers.

"We have all the sophisticated technology on the planet," Reily began to grumble. "And we still have to wait for this hunk of junk to _load_?"

I shrugged one shoulder, my expression agitated. Vaughn sensed the tenor of my emotions and he intertwined his fingers with mine – his subtle way of letting me know he was there for me. I welcomed it, knowing I wouldn't get much time to speak to him until this was over. The computer finally came to the start-up screen and I punched in my password, tapping the keys a little too harshly. Then we waited for another long moment before it finally came to the initialising screen with a _beep_ that made us all jump.

I hastily punched in the access code for the internal network and looked for Corlina's files. I scrolled fiercely down the list looking for the kind of folder Corlina would place there if she was trying to tell us something.

"You're scrolling so fast," Reily broke the silence. "How can you tell what you're looking at?

"I can tell." I replied shortly.

Then, as if to prove my point, my eyes skimmed over a folder entitled 'SOS – Corlina, URGENT MESSAGE!' I had to scroll back up to find it and double clicked. The only file in the folder was an audio file and I opened it without hesitation and turned the volume up on the computer. The program came up quickly and Corlina's voice came through loud and clear on the speakers.

"I don't have much time. Daegonn has infiltrated the Citadel and is after me. I'm not sure what he's after exactly but he thinks I have the answers. I have wiped my memory to ensure he doesn't get what he's looking for. You will find everything under the folder 'C-620.' Do not try to rescue me under any circumstances as I'm sure he will destroy me once he realises what I have done. Goodbye my friends."

I shut the program down and plugged a portable memory device into the computer. I copied the folder 'C-620' onto the device and yanked it out by the plug.

"This is not goodbye for you today." I murmured, stalking out of the room and downstairs to speak to Caprine.

It was only a matter of hours later that the others were gearing up to leave. I was bound to stay behind under strict orders from Vaughn. I hated him for pulling his authority on me, but in part I knew he was right – I couldn't go anywhere near the Stronghold yet. I never wanted to go there again. We were determined to retake Corlina before Daegonn discovered what she had done and destroyed her. Corlina was the core of our organisation; losing her would have meant losing the war.

My job was to stay behind on Comms with Dixon and Reily and scan the 'C-620' folder for anything that Daegonn might have wanted from Corlina's memory. Vaughn and Nico were going with Sage and Jason and a small strike team. The whole idea of it made me nauseous. My face was anxious as I bid Vaughn farewell.

"I'll be back soon." He told me. "I promise."

"Don't make a girl a promise if you know you can't keep it." I smiled teasingly.

He grinned back, kissed my forehead and then turned to join the others. Nico gave me an encouraging smile before they turned and left.

"Don't worry," Reily said, rubbing my shoulder. "They'll be back with Corlina before you know it." I didn't share her optimism. She then clapped me on the shoulder, earning an _oof_ from me, and turned towards me. "Come on, let's set up Comms."

I followed her back into the Citadel Hall, affording one last glance back at Vaughn. I hated that my childhood friend was walking across the border of danger without me. I studied the back of his profile, taking him in. I had a feeling something wasn't going to go right here, and a fear that I may never see him again.

Once we had the Comm link set up, I pulled up the folder on the computer once again and began to sift through. I could feel Reily reading over my shoulder when she wasn't focused on what was going on in the field. There was a lot of data in Corlina's memory, and I knew realistically it would take me days to go through it all, but I was hoping I might find something that would help the others in the field as I searched. I also wanted to know what Daegonn was looking for – I couldn't think of anything he could possibly want from Corlina's memory. We hadn't been after the same target as him for a while now, so I didn't understand why he would come to the Citadel personally to kidnap her.

I sighed in frustration as I scrolled furiously down the list.

"Anything?" Dixon asked.

"Nothing," I replied curtly. "This doesn't make sense. Why would he come all the way down here just to kidnap our construct?"

"Maybe he wants to influence her to do his bidding." It sounded more like a question than a statement.

"Control Corlina?" I snorted. "What a preposterous suggestion."

"I know, but he doesn't know that, does he? In any case, the longer he believes he _can_ control her, the more time we have. Though I doubt it will be enough."

I sighed again and continued to scan.

"_Base, this is Boy Scout, do you copy?"_ Vaughn's voice sounded over the comm link.

"I hear you, team leader," Dixon replied. "What's your status?"

"_We're less than two clicks out. Radio silence requested."_

"Radio silence initiated. Good luck out there, Lieutenant."

"_Likewise."_

"Vaughn—" I began.

"_I know, Jules."_ He reassured me, and then he was gone.

I returned my attention to the computer screen, more agitated than before, my left leg bouncing rhythmically. Reily sighed in frustration and placed her hand on my knee. I stopped bouncing, and grabbed onto her hand with my left, welcoming it when she twined our fingers together. She could see that I was stressed, and I was grateful that she knew me so well.

"Come on, chin up," She said. "We'll figure this out and Vaughn will bring her back. No worries."

I smiled. "Look at you being so level-headed." I teased her.

Reily shrugged one shoulder and grinned like an idiot. I couldn't help grinning back, then I returned my attention to the screen and continued scanning. I almost went past it, but something caught my eye and I scrolled back up to where I'd seen it. Once I'd properly read the name of the folder and registered what it meant, my eyes went wide with panic.

"_Láolê ilà káoce!_" I swore aloud, making Dixon and Reily jump.

"Oi!" Reily scolded me. "What is with the swearing left, right and centre?"

"Look!"

I showed her the screen and her reaction was the same as mine.

"Oh, fuck almighty."

I frowned at her. "He's after Khul."

Dixon piped up then. "What do you mean? Daegonn knows that Khul's a double?"

"Not yet, but he's about to. If he can get into Corlina's memory, not only will he know everything about the Citadel, but he'll know about Khul—"

"And have him executed." Dixon finished.

I nodded and Dixon contacted the group, warning them. Reily began checking to see if the folder was still contained within Corlina's memory. It wasn't, and Reily began to relax, but I knew better.

"It doesn't matter," I told her. "Regardless of whether it's still there or not, Sark can hack into her internal receptors where the backups are located and trace them back here to open the files."

"How can he hack into Corlina? Isn't it impossible to shut her down?"

"Not for Sark – he's a master technician. He could shut Corlina down within five minutes and locate the files in another two. If he gets into her system before the team finds her, then Khul will be dead within the hour."

"We should let the others know."

I nodded.

Dixon relayed the information to the team and they moved up their timetable. I knew that however Daegonn was planning to carry this out, they didn't have very much time. If Daegonn managed to get into Corlina's system and trace the files back here, then it was all over. But then...

What if he managed to hack into the system, but the system didn't offer him anything of use? What if the files he was looking for no longer existed? Maybe...

I slammed my fist down on the table. "I've got it!"

"What?" Dixon jumped again.

"Even if Sark does manage to hack the system... what if the system was wiped?"

"Are you suggesting we delete _everything_?" Reily asked.

"We would have to do it that way, because if we delete only the files we know he's looking for, it will only make it worse."

"You're right. But what about the files? Everything we have will be lost." Dixon pointed out.

"Corlina has compressed backups within her memory unit. Everything is there, they just can't access it. But I know how, and once we get Corlina back we can re-upload everything and decompress it. If I corrupt the files here, at the source, all Daegonn will get is an empty system."

"Julia, that's brilliant." Dixon praised me. "But we must be quick. I'll handle the server, you start corrupting the files. Reily, take over a minute."

He removed his headset and Reily scrutinised the monitors. I set to work immediately, starting with the files I knew Daegonn was looking for just in case I didn't get the rest in time. I went through everything to make sure that what I was deleting wasn't essential to the system's functionality and proceeded to wipe the lot. I hammered away at the keyboard, deleting everything as fast as I could. Dixon was on a computer on the opposite side of the room going through the other half of the files and corrupting them as well.

I knew this was a risky move, and if it didn't work I was going to be responsible for critically impairing our entire operation, but desperate times call for desperate measures and this was our most desperate hour. Then suddenly Reily clutched her hands over her ears and called out in pain, then she removed the headset.

"What's wrong?" Dixon demanded.

"Feedback something shocking." She replied.

"What kind of feedback?" I asked.

"High-pitched and weird. Not normal."

"Corlina." I said.

"They're torturing her." Dixon stated.

I turned back to the computer quickly and worked as fast as I could. I knew I would see the moment that Sark accessed the system, then I would have to shut it down. I couldn't have much time left now. I was almost done with my half, and I glanced at the black screen of the turned off computer next to me at the reflection of Dixon's screen and saw that he didn't have far to go either. I worked at a furious and inhuman rate – trying to delete everything before Sark got in. Reily jumped in her seat once more and I actually heard the feedback from where I was sitting.

"Hurry!" Reily warned us.

I mashed my eyebrows in concentration and typed like I'd never typed before. Then, finally, I was finished.

"Done!" I called out.

I turned immediately to look over at Dixon who was still deleting files. He only had a few more to go. I strode across the room to watch his monitor, leaning over his shoulder, waiting for Sark to log on.

"Come on, Dixon." I coached him under my breath.

My nerves felt like they were going to kill me as I watched the remaining items disappear off the list. Dixon only had three more to go when I saw Sark hack into the system.

"Sark!" I warned him.

"Done!" Dixon called out and then he pulled the plug.

He sat back in his chair and panted, his forehead covered in a sheen of sweat as if he had just run a marathon. I huffed a sigh and lowered my head and I heard Reily sigh behind me as well.

"System's down, you're all clear. Go!" Reily told the team over the comm link.

I patted Dixon on the shoulder. "Well done, mate."

He exhaled loudly and slumped lower in his chair. "_T'saléiôcu, Tétsü_."

I walked over to where Reily was seated and leaned over her shoulder to look at the monitor. She still had a worried expression on her face.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"A scruff of sorts."

"A what?"

"A fight."

I furrowed my eyebrows. I leaned in next to her headphones so I could hear what was going on. They were certainly fighting someone – I guessed it was Daegonn and Sark. All I could hear was grunting and calls of pain and the sound of shuffling feet on the stone floor of the Stronghold. I then heard running feet and panting and Reily's expression of curiosity and intense concentration mimicked my own.

"_Target acquired,"_ Vaughn's voice came through on the comms. _"We're falling back to the rendezvous. We may need back up – we're gettin' hammered."_ I heard him fire his weapon back at the enemy.

I picked up a microphone. "Copy, Boy Scout, get out of there."

I then reached over to the PA and flicked it on. "This is Agent Thorne requesting a team to the rendezvous for assistance."

"_I hear you, Julia."_ O'Reilly's gruff voice replied.

I turned the PA off and rushed out of the room, down the stairs and out into the gardens to direct the team. They were just arriving at the front when I got there. I told them where to go and they headed off without hesitation. It started raining then, and I realised exactly how cold it was. I hurried back inside and back up to the Comm Room.

"So?" Dixon asked as I came in.

"They're on their way now." I walked back over to Reily.

She turned around to me with a stressed expression. "And not too soon," She told me. "Vaughn just said Jason's been shot."

Lucky for Jasonali, the bullet had hit him in the shoulder, so it wasn't life-threatening. He was in a hell of a lot of pain, though. As they brought him in on the gurney, he was cussing to the heavens like I'd never heard him cuss before. Nico was holding his good hand as they walked, trying to keep him calm. Vaughn was behind them and I walked astride him to get his report on the situation. Sage had Corlina. Nico went with Dixon and Dr Smith to the infirmary to look after Jason, whilst Vaughn, Sage, Reily and I went to re-install Corlina.

Sage attached her memory unit to the console in the Conference Hall while I pulled open the control panel and re-rigged the wiring. Vaughn helped me by keeping the panel steady, as it had a tendency to wobble, and I didn't want to get electrocuted. Reily stood back and observed us as we worked, probably making mental notes like I'd taught her to. I re-attached the right wires back into the main circuit and started it up. Sage activated Corlina's unit and she appeared on the console.

She opened her eyes and assessed the scene surrounding her. "Oh, thank the Gods." She breathed. She was lying down and looked quite exhausted.

I stepped forward and leaned my head down to her level. "Corlina, are you alright?"

She looked up at me with a small smile. "Nothing I can't handle."

I smiled back and held out one finger in a gesture of assistance. She grinned and placed her digital hand onto my finger and helped herself up. I felt the tingling sensation you always did when you came into contact with Corlina – like a subtle electric current was pulsing through you. She looked around herself, looking a little bewildered.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see this monotonous place." She grinned. "Who deleted the files off the server?" I looked down sheepishly. "Julia..." She crossed her arms and glared at me.

I laughed. "It was the only thing I could think of to stop them from getting access to Khul's information. And anything else."

"Yes, well... maybe that had something to do with my inability to protect myself from being shut down."

"You're not seriously going to blame this on yourself, are you?" Vaughn asked wearily.

"No, I do not blame myself _fully_."

We all groaned in unison. Even though Corlina was only a digital representation of someone who was once alive, she still managed to be just as stubborn as every other Aklorian in Curia.

"Corlina, are you up to monitoring Jasonali in the infirmary?" Vaughn asked her.

She rubbed her head. "Yes, tell Dixon I'll be there in a minute."

Vaughn sent a message to Dixon letting him know. Sage left the room to be with his friend and Corlina headed off to the infirmary also. I caught sight of something on Vaughn's head and walked over to him.

"What happened to your head?" I asked him.

"Ah, it's nothin'." But he let me look anyway.

There was a rather deep and concerning gash across his left eyebrow that was covered in slightly dried blood. I ground my teeth together and looked at him with questioning eyes.

"He slogged me – it's nothin'."

I narrowed my eyes and pressed my finger to the wound gently – he flinched.

"Well, Dixon's busy, but at least let me take care of it."

Vaughn sighed. "Fine."

I took him upstairs and I let us into my apartment. Reily ducked into the tech room to grab a laptop so she could go through the system files to make sure everything had been recovered. She brought it in to my apartment and made herself comfortable in the armchair, legs over the arm and computer in her lap, typing away. I sat Vaughn down on the couch and fetched the first aid kit I always kept in my kitchen cupboard. I sat down and started cleaning the wound.

"You should learn to duck." Reily commented.

Vaughn gave her the finger. "_Réily, káoce fâeresîlòyu_."

Reily blew him a kiss. "_Esàs saisëk_."

"Be nice, you two." I warned them, grinning.

I cleaned the blood away and the cut underneath wasn't as bad as I'd feared. I stuck an adhesive strip over it and kissed it better. Vaughn grinned stupidly.

"Sorry about earlier." He said after a minute.

I paused. "Don't worry about it. It's me who should be apologising. I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter."

Reily looked up from her laptop. "Oh, you're both sorry, now get over it."

I swiftly grabbed a medicinal bottle and chucked it at her – it impacted right in the middle of her forehead.

"Ow!" She protested. She picked up the bottle and looked at me. "Why?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "It was there."

"Yeah, well, catch."

She ditched it back at me and I flat-caught it in my hand and chucked it back in the box. I smiled smugly and cocked one eyebrow. Reily glared at me and grumbled, then returned her attention to her work, muttering something about inhuman reflexes. I laughed softly and turned back to Vaughn who I caught scrutinising my face.

"What?" I asked. 

"Nothing." He said quickly. Too quickly.

I frowned but let it go, assuming he would tell me in his own time, then I proceeded to put the first aid kit away. As I was walking back towards the lounge room, there was a knock at my door. I was immediately suspicious. Who the hell would be here that would need to knock? Everyone I knew just crashed in uninvited. I went over to the drawer in the stand next to the door and pulled my 9mm out, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, cocked it and laid it on the stand.

I opened the door swiftly and the person I saw on the other side was no threat. In fact, it was the most wonderful sight my eyes had seen all year.


	20. Seriously, Who's Heard of Invitations?

19. Seriously, Who's Heard of Invitations?

"Beth!" I just about jumped onto her and embraced her fiercely.

Vaughn's mother hugged me back fiercely. "Hello, darling."

It had been so long since I'd seen Beth Vaughn before she'd moved to Crystal Reef to assist the priest with the local children. I was beyond delighted to see her now, right when I needed her most. Tears welled in my eyes as I embraced her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, pulling away.

"Kazel called me. Told me what happened. He said you were falling apart. He sounded worried, so I thought it was time to pay the Citadel a visit."

"You didn't have to do that, you know." Vaughn said, walking over with Reily trailing behind.

"Hello, Pickle," Beth addressed her son, a teasing tone in her voice.

"Hi, Mum." He hugged her tightly.

I knew Vaughn missed his mum a lot while she was away – they were the only family they each had, so they were really close. I let them have their moment. Vaughn and Beth looked so alike it was obvious they were mother and son. They both had that same shade of once light blond hair that was now a grey-white from the lack of sun. They both had kind-looking faces and that same depth to their eyes – his steel blue, hers the strangest shade of lilac so pale that they seemed almost translucent – that suggested an ancient wisdom.

Beth had grown her hair out since last I saw her, and it was past her shoulders now. She was 38 years of age, five-foot-four and the kindest woman I had ever met. She could probably pass for Vaughn's older sister, as she looked oddly young for her age, and Vaughn was mature beyond his years. She looked like a dwarf next to Vaughn and all his five-foot-eleven-inches – like a female mini version of him. I laughed internally at the thought of how I must look standing next to him, me and all my measly five-foot-two-and-a-half-inches.

Vaughn and Beth pulled away from each other and Beth noticed the cut on his head.

"Oh, dear, look at your head," She fussed.

"I'm fine." Vaughn waved a hand dismissively.

She frowned. "Indeed."

I laughed and thought it was a good time to introduce Reily.

"Beth, this is Reily Adams." 

"Ah, yes, the one from Earth," Beth shook Reily's hand. "Kazel's told me all about you."

"Has he, now?" Reily looked at him from the corner of her eye and he shrugged.

"Yes, indeed. Now, what do you need me to do first?" She asked, turning to me.

I laughed again. "You can go and sit yourself down. You must be exhausted."

"Oh, well... the journey wasn't _that_ hard. Not with two of those lovely soldier gents escorting me."

Vaughn rolled his eyes.

"Still, I insist," I persisted.

"Well... alright."

Once Beth was seated, I got up to make some coffee. Vaughn told me to sit back down and then went to do it himself before I could argue. I pouted and Beth laughed her soft laugh.

"He's right, dear, you really should be resting." Beth backed him up.

"It's just never on my agenda."

"Well, it's not going to be long now. You need to save your energy for the big day."

I groaned and flopped my head back against the couch. "Don't remind me. That is the last thing on my mind."

"Well, it shouldn't be. It's only going to be one of the most important days of your life." Beth continued. "So, tell me, any details yet? Do you know the gender?" 

"Girl."

"Oh, is it?" Reily piped up, looking away from the screen of the laptop that was now on the new-old wooden coffee table.

I lifted my head back up. "Yeah, I thought I told you."

"No."

"Oh. It must have slipped my mind."

"Right," She turned to Beth with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, you must think I'm being very rude."

"Oh, don't worry about it, dear. I know you're all very busy. Besides, I'm not here to interrupt anyone's work."

Reily smiled politely and continued typing. Vaughn came in with the coffees then and handed them around, then he sat in the armchair opposite Reily at the other end of the coffee table as the couch was already taken by me and Beth. I took a swig of my coffee, black with one sugar – just how I liked it.

"Oh, look at your face, there. I only just noticed." Beth reached over to touch the still-healing cuts on the right side of my face.

"It's not as bad as it looks," I assured her.

"Kazel told me about Sergeant Sheen. I'd had one or two conversations with the man myself."

I didn't say anything, just took another sip.

"Julia?" I turned my head to her. "Are you alright?"

I thought about that for a moment. "I'm getting there."

Beth laid a sympathetic hand on my shoulder and furrowed her eyebrows into a concerned expression. I didn't try to reassure her, because truth be told, I really wasn't sure if I was okay. I received a kick to the ribs from my freeloader and I gasped and laid one hand over my stomach.

"You okay, Jules?" Vaughn asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I exhaled. "She's kicking."

"Thought you'd be used to it by now." Reily remarked.

"It's not something you get used to."

"You're not wrong about that," Beth piped up. She nodded at Vaughn. "This one just about kicked me to death."

Vaughn put his head in his hand and sighed. I laughed, Reily snickered.

Beth narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, I can't wait until you have children."

"Yeah, if I live that long." Beth kicked him in the shin. "Ow!"

"Don't say that, you know how that worries me."

"Yeah, yeah."

Beth shook her head and turned back to me. "Have you thought much about names yet?"

"Well, I have thought of one, actually."

"Oh, yeah?" Vaughn lifted his head up.

I smiled. "Nadiána."

"What's that referencing?"

"Do you remember Nadia Stevens?"

Vaughn thought for a moment, then he remembered. "Oh, yeah, red-headed woman, brown eyes, from South America, got stuck here a few years back?"

I nodded, smiling at the memories. "I always liked her name. But I tweaked it just a bit."

Beth's expression was thoughtful. "Nadiána. I like it – it's unique."

"Middle name?" Reily asked me.

"Sydney, after my sister. Nadiána Sydney."

"It's nice." Vaughn smiled.

I gave a small smile back and smoothed my hand over my belly. I felt a nudge against my hand and I huffed a laugh. Beth reached over and laid a warm hand over mine.

"Don't worry, dear." She reassured me. "You're going to be just fine."

I smiled at her and nodded. "Yeah." I paused. "It's gonna be fine."

Reily made a frustrated sound and banged the backspace key on the laptop. We all looked at her, having completely forgotten she was there. She seemed to notice that people were staring at her and she looked over from under her hair hanging in her face.

"What?" She demanded timidly.

We all shook our heads and averted our eyes. Reily continued to mutter to herself and get frustrated with the laptop. I really studied her face, making note of her features. Her hair so light brown it was almost blonde. Her thick eyebrows set over her bright magenta eyes that were always stuck in a state of wide curiosity. Such an unnatural eye colour for one of Earth – I wondered how no one in her hometown had realised. Maybe they hadn't cared enough to notice. Those eyes bore a great significance to her and her heritage. A significance that she would one day learn the depth of.

Reily lifted her head slightly to look at me, questions in her eyes. I shook my head and looked away, at Beth, to avoid Reily's gaze. Beth smiled comfortingly and I returned the gesture. Vaughn lifted his head and laughed at Reily.

"I'm guessing you didn't like technology much back on Earth, did you?"

Reily raised one eyebrow. "What would give you that idea, Vaughn?"

"I don't think bashing the crap out of the thing is gonna make it work any faster." He gestured to the laptop.

Reily smirked. "Would you rather I take my frustration out on you?"

"You can try."

Reily smiled evilly and cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, don't test me. I wouldn't make a bet, either."

"Yeah, right." Vaughn muttered under his breath and drank the rest of his coffee.

Reily rolled her eyes and continued to type, softer now, probably due to self-consciousness. Before too long, she lost her patience and shut the lid with a grumble. She picked herself up and stood.

"I'm gonna put this back before I break it. See ya later."

"'Bye." I waved after her.

She left the apartment, shutting the door behind her. I looked down at the coffee table and distracted myself by studying the patterns in the wood.

"She's a bit of an odd one." Beth said, looking after Reily. Her voice wasn't critical, but rather... compassionate? Acknowledging? I couldn't pick a word.

"She's an _Eîgathèi_," I replied mechanically. "They're all odd."

Beth chuckled and smoothed the back of my head with her hand. The texture of the skin on her hands was soft and warm and it made my scalp tingle as she ran her fingers through my hair. I shut my eyes and got a shiver down my spine.

"Are you cold?" Vaughn asked me.

I didn't open my eyes. "Her hands are warm." I told him.

Vaughn turned to Beth then and began to ask her about what she'd been up to in Crystal Reef, but I wasn't paying attention to their conversation. I liked her warm fingers caressing my hair – it felt nice. I was on my way to drifting into sleep when Reily suddenly came back in. I ignored her entry and focussed on relaxing until she spoke.

"Caprine wants to see you guys."

I opened my eyes and looked at her at the same time as Vaughn.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Another visitor." She replied simply before disappearing out into the corridor.

I looked at Vaughn with a confused expression. Who else could possibly have business at the Citadel? I couldn't think of anyone. He stood, walked over to my left and offered me his hand. I took it, rolling my eyes as I did so, and pushed myself off the couch with my other hand. Beth supported me by my right arm as I stood, then she put her arm around my shoulders as we walked towards the door with Vaughn leading.

We headed out into the corridor and I locked the apartment door behind me. We walked down the two flights of stairs and out into the main hall of the Keep where the visitor was speaking with Caprine in a hushed tone. Their back was to us so we couldn't identify who it was until we were closer and heard the low hissing sound of their voice. Then we recognised them immediately.

"Aspanaki?" Vaughn addressed them.

Aspanaki turned around, smiled and bowed her head in our direction, then she turned back to Caprine to finish the conversation. "I will find out what I can."

"Very good." Caprine answered before heading off into her office to leave us with our visitor.

Aspanaki walked over to us and gave me a careful embrace. "It isss a pleasure to sssee you again, child."

I nodded politely. I was happy to see her, but also afraid of what she would make of my situation, and afraid of telling her the truth. I bit my lip self-consciously while I thought of how to answer the questions she would never voice because she was too polite. Before I could say anything, Aspanaki looked up at Reily who jumped about a foot in the air in response to her... unusual appearance.

Aspanaki was an anthropomorph like Nico, but she was half-snake rather than half-cat. Her skin was an unnatural green colour and her cobra-like hood was lined with green and yellow scales. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly which accented the thin slit of black in the middle of her golden eye. Her face was the most human part of her – it looked normal enough, green skin aside. It was quite flat, especially her nose, and her lips were pink with a forked tongue hiding behind them which caused her to hiss when she spoke.

"New recruit, then?" Aspanaki questioned.

"Yes," Vaughn answered. "This is Reily Adams of Earth. Reily, this is Aspanaki, our... rouge I supposed you could call her."

"You ssserioussly haven't given me a rank yet? Imposssible man." She smirked and it looked strangely natural on her features.

Reily seemed to trip over her words. "Um... so you're an anthropomorphic snake?"

"Indeed I am. The lassst." She walked towards Reily and held out her hand.

Reily shook it hesitantly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Aspanaki waved a dismissive hand and returned her gaze to me. "Iss there sssomething on your mind?"

I was still biting my lip. I released it now and my eyes darted around nervously. "I think there's something I need to explain to you..." My voice was anxious.

Aspanaki laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. "It'sss alright. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Your life isss your bussinesss."

I shook my head. "It's not what you think."

She raised the ridge above her right eye where her eyebrow would have been if she had them. "I'm ussed to being kept in the dark." She gave a small smile.

I looked down, not wanting to see accusation in her eyes.

"I will sssee you later, child."

She gave me another gentle hug and I felt something slip into my right pocket. She smiled and then walked off towards the gardens. I looked down at my pocket and pulled the object out. It was a tiny brown beaded bracelet – I'd seen one like it before. The thick string was hand woven with Reptuffalo leather and the beads were carved from the wood of the Tree of Woe that stood upon the site of the old Shrine to Mo, the anthropomorphic Demi-God. Nico had one such bracelet that was given to her at birth that she still wore as they were adjustable. I knew it was once considered a great honour for a non-anthropomorph to receive one of these bracelets.

It was beautiful. I knew Aspanaki was always picking up things from around the Tree of Woe, and the ruins of Durani-Mo – once an anthropomorphic village in the desert. Small bits and bobs left behind when Wolufs attacked the village years ago. Tears welled in my eyes as I realised that the bracelet was a gift for my baby. I was touched by her sudden consideration. I replaced the bracelet in my pocket, planning to put it away safely in my apartment until my baby had need for it.

Reily peered over. "What is it?" She asked.

"A gift." I gave a small smile.

Vaughn smiled, too. "That's a good luck charm, right?"

I nodded. "Here's hoping it works."

Reily shrugged. "Better than nothin' at all."

I shrugged back and smiled. Vaughn put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my hair.

"Come on, let's get you back upstairs. You're _supposed_ to be resting." He teased.

I rolled my eyes at him and Reily chuckled. Vaughn began to steer me towards the stairs and I went willingly, feeling a little tired. Reily was going to follow, but then someone called to her from across the hall. She hesitated, then waved at me before jogging over to speak with them. I waved back too late and went upstairs with Vaughn.

_May, 1790_

The day started out pretty normal. I woke up to find Vaughn in my kitchen like every other morning. Reily was there as well, raiding my fridge; probably because hers was empty. I went for a brisk walk (because Dixon had left me strict instructions not to jog anymore) around the Citadel gardens. I said a quick hello to Aspanaki who was on her way out on an errand. I had a long conversation with Nico as she crooned over me, getting excited about the due date being so close – only four weeks to go now. I punched Jason on the arm when he teased me with some comment about space to rent. I smiled and greeted Corlina as I passed the tech room, then I went back to my apartment to find Reily's face full of food and Vaughn sitting at the table with a coffee and paperwork.

I squeezed his shoulder as I passed him on my way upstairs and he smiled knowingly at me. I went upstairs to take a bath and change my clothes, came back down and made myself breakfast and gave Vaughn a hand for a bit. Then Reily and I went off to the surveillance room to do another routine check on the equipment. I took my third coffee with me.

That was when I felt it coming on. I wasn't sure what was happening at first, but I knew it wasn't normal. I felt strange – not sick, just wrong. I didn't think anything of it at first. While we were sitting down at the desktop computers, waiting for them to whir to life, I got a hell of a sharp pain in my stomach. I gasped and grabbed my stomach, bending over it in pain. Reily jumped and then was at my side in an instant.

"Are you okay?"

"I think so. I _think_ that was a kick, but I'm not sure."

"Maybe we should take you to Dixon just in case." Her eyebrows pushed together.

"No, I'm fine, it's passed now."

"If you're sure..."

I nodded and she sat back down. Truth be told, I wasn't really sure, but I didn't want to make a fuss over nothing. We continued working for about two hours, and I got a few more pains in that time, but kept them to myself, as I was sure they were kicks. Once we finished up, Reily went to speak to Sage and I headed back to my apartment. Vaughn was gone, so I was finally able to enjoy some peace. I didn't know where Beth was, though.

I started to climb the stairs up to my room, but as soon as I climbed the first step, it happened again. A sharp stabbing pain racked my stomach and I had to bend over and exhale deeply to stop from crying out. It definitely wasn't a kick, and it definitely didn't feel right. I thought that maybe rest would help, so I continued up to my room to grab some sleep. But the second I got in the door, I got another stab, worse than before. I started to panic.

I decided it was time to stop being an idiot and call Dixon. But... shit! My phone was downstairs. I climbed carefully back down the stairs, nearly falling over when I got another stab at the bottom. This time I did cry out and panted heavily.

'_No,'_ I thought to myself. _'This can't be happening yet. It's too soon!'_

I wasn't due for another month – surely it couldn't be normal for me to be in labour _now_? From what Beth had told me about labour, this didn't feel like it – It felt wrong. And... I tried not to hyperventilate as I attempted to cross the room to get my phone. Something happened then that I didn't expect; I felt faint, like I was going to pass out. I panicked again, if I couldn't get help... I fought through the haziness that was threatening to drag me under and used the furniture for support to cross to the kitchen.

Then something very obvious occurred to me – why didn't I just call Sage? I was about to do just that, when I got another sharp pain and I broke out in a cold sweat. I called out again and had that same feeling of faintness.

'_Sage, help me.'_ I thought.

And then I blacked out.


	21. Anything But This

20. Anything But This

I didn't know what was happening until I saw them pass by the tech room door. The noise from the hall drew my attention and I turned to see five people and a gurney fly past the open door in the direction of the infirmary. I only caught a glimpse of the person laying on the gurney, but a glimpse was all I needed to see the enlarged shape bulging out of their body. I was out of my seat and into the hall before I had time to even consider it. I caught up to them and turned to Dixon.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"I can't talk right now, Vaughn!" He shouted over the noise of the four others.

I turned to Sage who was nearest to me and repeated my question.

"I don't know," He replied, his lips in a hard line.

I followed them to the infirmary where Dixon and Dr Smith wheeled the gurney into the E.R. I tried to follow them in, but they forced me outside into the corridor where everyone else was just showing up. I rushed to the large window looking into the room, my eyes wide with shock and panic as Dixon and Smith worked over Julia.

She looked terrible – she was covered in sweat and her face was ashen. I could see shallow breaths forcing her chest to rise and fall. Apart from her breathing, she was almost perfectly motionless; definitely unconscious. Dixon gave her a shot straight into the middle of her chest, and within seconds she jolted awake. Her eyes were wide with the shock and she cried out in pain. I looked behind me at the others, questions in my eyes, hoping one of them had an answer. Sage shook his head at me and nobody said anything – they were all as shocked as I was.

I heard Julia's voice then, and my head whipped back around to the scene before me.

"Dixon," She screamed. "What's happening?!"

"I don't know yet, Julia, just stay awake!"

"What's wrong?!" She demanded again.

Dixon didn't answer her, but I doubt she would have been able to comprehend him if he had, because her back arched then from some unseen pain, her eyes closed, her hands curled into claws grabbing at the sheets and she let out the most blood-chilling scream I have ever heard. But I didn't react the way the others did behind me, gasping and sobbing, I just stared. I could do nothing else. I watched with a blank face as the horrifying scene played out, and I knew for certain that she was dying.

I wanted to scream aloud. I wanted to run down to the Stronghold right now and break Daegonn's filthy neck. I wanted to call him every name I could possibly think of and spit on his corpse. But what could I say? There were no words for this. I continued to stare as Julia writhed in agony and tried not to scream. Even now she was trying to save us from her pain. I wanted to tell her it was alright, but it wasn't. I will never forget that feeling that there was nothing I could do to save the one person who meant more to me than anyone else in the world. Not if I live a hundred years.

I didn't really see much after I'd made the conclusion that she was done for. Or maybe I did and my conscious mind just blocked it out. Either way, the next thing I knew, Sage came up behind me and laid his hand on my shoulder. I could feel the tension rolling off of him, tangible in the air. I refocused then, trying to ascertain what was going on so that I could understand why this was happening. But all I could see was her. I took in everything about her in that instant and it felt like my whole life flashed before my eyes.

In that moment, I saw every single minute I'd ever spent with her in my life – saw it all as clear as day. The first time I saw her in the streets of Eàmońn Sô'al and when she'd told me about what happened to her and her sister. When she'd revealed her terrible secret to me for the first time and when she killed someone for the first time to save my life. When we were caught at the Stronghold and she somehow knew what was going to happen. When she emerged from that room with that ridiculous crowbar, and the madness in her eyes. When she told me what Daegonn had done to her. When we found out about the pregnancy and when she tried to kill herself and when Sheen attacked her... none of it compared to this.

There she was, my childhood friend, the most beautiful person in the world, being ripped to shreds by what Daegonn had done. I would kill him – for good. I promised myself that. No matter what happened to Julia now, I would end his miserable cycle of life. He was not going to bring her down like this. Julia screamed again and the ice over my features finally cracked. I groaned in pain and dropped my head, lifting it back up again quickly, not wanting to miss another minute of seeing her alive, no matter how horrible.

"C'mon, Jules..." I whispered to myself.

Dixon and Smith were shouting frantically at each other, but it was difficult to hear them behind the glass. I tried to read their lips, but they were moving so fast it was difficult. I saw Dixon walk up to Julia to speak to her. She stared at him with wild-eyed fear. I squinted through the glass and concentrated on Dixon's lips. It looked like he said he was going to deliver the baby now. Now?! Was he insane? The thing wasn't due for four weeks, she'd never make it! He'll kill them both! Sage squeezed my shoulder in response to my thoughts and I knew he didn't exactly disagree with me.

"Julia, if I don't do it now, you're both going to die!" I could hear Dixon yell.

Julia screamed at him to do it and then fell back against the gurney again and screamed in pain. Whatever was happening to her to cause her to scream that way must have been agonising, though I couldn't see anything physically wrong with her, apart from her colour. The problem must be internal, which is why Dixon was going to deliver the baby now, to try and save them. I knew it wouldn't work, I knew there was no hope for either of them now. Or maybe the baby would survive and Julia wouldn't. Would Daegonn be satisfied then?

Dixon and Smith went to work quickly and I couldn't look. I averted my eyes to Julia's face; I couldn't watch what they were doing. It was too horrible to comprehend. Julia continued to groan like she wanted to scream, but held it back between clenched teeth. She bit down on her bottom lip so hard it bled. Now Sage was the one looking away – he didn't need to look anyway, he could see it all through everyone's thoughts. I watched Julia's face as Dixon and Smith worked to save her. Her expression was contorted in an unnatural-looking way, wracked by an impossible amount of pain and she screamed again as another convulsion shook through her body.

Unexpectedly, Dixon called to me then. I hadn't seen him open the door.

"Vaughn, I need you!" Then he disappeared back into the room.

I followed him, eager to help. Dixon's hands were wrapped in gloves that were once white and his clothes were also stained.

"Go and keep her focused!" He ordered before returning to work.

I half-ran to Julia's side and took her right hand in mine. Her palm was damp with sweat and an unsettling temperature.

"Julia?"

"Vaughn..." She breathed, her eyes trying to focus on my face.

"I'm right here, Jules. Hold on." I squeezed her hand to assure her.

She squeezed back with surprising strength, holding onto my hand like it was her only lifeline. Maybe it was – maybe, to her, my being here for her was causing her to fight, to live. I held her hand in both of mine, hanging onto the small bit of hope as tightly as I could. I wouldn't lose her – it hurt too much to even consider. The strength in her limbs increased then as she tried to strangle a scream and she gripped onto my hand with all her might. I used my own strength to absorb the pressure so she wouldn't break my hand – which she was capable of – but I would still bruise.

That didn't matter, though; all that mattered was keeping her going. Dixon lifted his head from the end of the gurney as Smith still worked.

"Okay, Julia," He instructed as Julia lifted her head to look at him. "When I tell you, I need you to push as hard as you can."

"Oh, Tetsu," I mumbled in horror, realising that it was really happening.

Julia's head slumped back against the pillow, clenching her teeth in pain. I saw a tear slowly fall from the corner of her eye.

"Henry, help her up." Dixon instructed Dr Smith.

He came over to Julia's left side and I joined in helping her into a half-sitting position. She cried out in pain as the movement tore at her abdomen. She was struggling to breathe, forcing the air in and out as deeply as she could.

"Okay, Julia, you ready?" Dixon called.

She took a moment to reply. I knew what would be going through her head: I can't do this, I'm not ready. I took hold of her face in my other hand and forced her to look at me, my eyes stern, but reassuring, I hoped.

"Jules... you can do this." I told her. "You _can_ do this."

She looked back at me, her eyes full of despair and exhaustion. It was then I realised I was wrong about her train of thought – she knew she was going to die, I could see it in her eyes. Then I saw something else, some kind of concern, and it hit me: the only thing she wanted now was to save her baby. She was ready to die for it, like everything else. It was as much a part of her life now as I was. Finally, she nodded, interrupting my personal micro-epiphany and turned her head towards Dixon.

"I'm ready." She whispered through her teeth.

Dixon's head disappeared again and a moment passed before he started counting her in.

"One... two... three,"

And she screamed. It was all I could do to stop myself from blocking my ears and covering my eyes, but I knew Julia needed me here to help her. I could see her muscles straining as she pushed as hard as she could. Dixon counted her in again and I could see her weaken with every force. Her face was covered with sweat and her hand became clammier and colder by the minute. Her skin turned paler still, and I could almost see the strength leaving her along with her burden. One more time Dixon counted and she gave one last heave before her screams, not as strong as before, broke off suddenly and her muscles relaxed and her body fell limp. She about fell back down onto the gurney, but I put my hand under her head in time to break her fall, then I laid her head down on the pillow gently.

"Nadiána..." Dixon whispered.

I looked over towards him. He'd been right then, the baby was a girl. Nadiána... Julia's daughter. A murmur of breath escaped Julia's lips as if she was trying to speak, but there was no strength left to form the words. I could see her now; Nadiána. Dixon held her carefully in the length of his outstretched arms, she was bloody, but underneath her skin was pale, and she was so tiny – impossibly small. Dixon's forehead creased with worry and it took me a moment to realise that she should have been crying. He turned to Smith and placed the baby in the blanket Smith had in his arms.

"Take her to the ICU," Dixon instructed him. "She's not breathing."

Smith nodded and left the room through another door so as to avoid walking past the others. Julia was still whispering and I could make out her words now.

"Dixon," She said softly. "What's going on, what... what's wrong...?"

Her voice trailed off as her eyes drooped closed and her body fell completely motionless, her head falling to the side. I didn't blame her – she must have been so exhausted. For a moment, her face was peaceful, as if she was sleeping.

Then her heart stopped.

Dixon snapped into action instantly. "Get the defibrillator!" He shouted at me.

I looked around for it before I spotted it in the corner of the room and I ran over and grabbed it quickly. I brought it over to the gurney as Dixon started administering CPR.

"Charge it, 150!" He commanded.

I turned it on, switched the dial to 150 and waited for him to finish compressions. It wasn't long before he gave up on CPR and grabbed the paddles.

"Clear!" I shouted.

He pressed the paddles to Julia's chest and left side and her back arched as he shocked her heart. Nothing.

"200!" Dixon yelled.

I waited for it to charge. "Clear!"

He shocked her again. Still nothing.

"300!" I could hear the panic in his voice now.

"Clear!"

Again, nothing.

"C'mon Julia..." I begged.

"400!"

"Clear!"

He shocked her again and I saw a gasp of breath rasp in through her lips. Her heart stuttered and then picked up a slow beat. Dixon checked the monitors, then he pressed his fingers to Julia's neck.

"Pulse," He declared. "It's weak, but it's there."

I bowed my head, unable to respond. And Dixon sighed, not quite in relief, but something along the lines.

"You need to go back out to the others," Dixon said to me.

I couldn't register his words; I was still trapped inside the realisation that Julia was alive, for now. And yet, I wasn't relieved, which confused me.

"Vaughn," He got my attention then. "You need to go to the others."

I nodded and left the room without looking at him. I couldn't bear to take my eyes off Julia now, but I had a duty to perform. The others needed to know what was happening.

It was the following day before we were given any kind of report on both Julia's progress and Nadiána's. All of us – Nico, Jason, Sage, Reily, Corlina, Aspanaki, Caprine, General O'Reilly, my mother and I – spent the majority of our time in the comms room, waiting for Dixon and Smith to tell us what was going on. After I told them what had happened, we hardly spoke to each other. There wasn't much to be said. None of us knew what to say, we couldn't know until we heard something. It was morning when both Dixon and Smith came into the comms room and we all stood, eager to hear their news.

Dixon's face was solemn, but not grave. "Julia and Nadiána are both alive, but not exactly well."

Smith continued. "Nadiána wasn't breathing as she was born prematurely and her lungs aren't fully developed. I've got her on a ventilator until her lungs are mature enough to breathe on their own. But otherwise, she's doing well." No one said anything, so Smith started to give us the news we were really anticipating. "Julia isn't doing so well..."

Dixon looked weary, like he'd been up all night. "The condition that caused her problems is called Placental Abruption. It's a condition that causes the placenta to detach from the mother's uterus, causing abdominal pain and internal bleeding. It was much too risky to correct the problem, as the condition was quite severe, and so I had to deliver to have any chance of saving either of them. The result of this is that Julia is now in very poor shape."

He paused for a moment and Reily took the opportunity to speak.

"How poor?"

Dixon's eyes snapped in her direction. "Delivering the baby in the state Julia was has very nearly killed her. Her heart is still going – barely – but she's also on a ventilator. She's very much in a comatose state at the moment; her body is trying to protect itself by shutting down almost completely. There's no telling when she may wake up... or if she'll wake up at all."

"What do you mean?" Nico gripped Jasonali's arm tighter and he rubbed her shoulder in response.

"I mean that there is a very real possibility that Julia's heart will fail and she will die. I don't know how much strength she has left to stay with us after her pregnancy and birth being so full of turmoil. At the very least it's going to cause her a lot of internal problems. I've already revived her once and there's only so much the heart can take."

Caprine sighed sadly. "What do you suggest we do, then, Cafu?"

"Ma'am, I want to keep her under 24-hour surveillance so I can be notified immediately if there is any change or if her heart stops again."

"I'll stay with her," I said.

Dixon looked like he wanted to protest, but Corlina beat him to it.

"You will not be able to be there all the time, Vaughn. You have responsibilities—"

"Julia is one of those responsibilities. If she dies—"

"Vaughn..." Sage cut me off.

"_If_ she does and I wasn't there doing everything in my power to save her, I will _never_ forgive myself."

"Alright, alright," Sage surrendered.

Dixon hesitated. "You can go now, someone should be watching her..."

His voice trailed as I strode past him and Smith and out the door to the infirmary.

Three weeks later found me still sitting beside Julia's bed in the ICU. The only times I'd left were to sleep or if someone really needed my help, the rest of my time was spent at Julia's side. I had been next door to see Nadiána a couple of times when Smith needed a hand with the equipment. The first time I'd been in there had shocked me – in the middle of the room was a small bed with metal rails and plastic guards lining it, so there was no possibility of a baby falling out. In the middle of the bed was the smallest human being I've ever seen. Sure I'd seen babies before, but this girl was smaller than any of them. She looked terribly fragile.

But that wasn't the worst part – the worst part was everything that surrounded her. There were monitors next to her bed and she had a tiny tube going into her left arm. The tube of the ventilator was down her throat and taped to her mouth; I could see her tiny chest rise and fall with each breath of air that was forced into her lungs. Her little hands and feet were moving, but her head and body were still, I guessed she couldn't will them to move yet. I'd walked up to the little bed, staring incredulously at her, feeling a great sadness at the possibility that her life could end when it had only just begun.

What had astonished me most, though, was the little person behind the tubes and the breathing apparatus. When I looked at her, _really_ looked, I realised how amazing she was. She was beautiful even with all the equipment, barely any hair and her eyes closed. I reached out to her, suddenly feeling an overwhelming urge to protect this tiny baby. Hesitantly, I touched my finger to the back of her little hand – the texture of her skin was soft and smooth, but slightly cool. Her hand twitched in response and she reached, grabbing hold of my finger in her hand, her fingers curling around it in a grip that was surprisingly strong.

It almost felt like she was clinging onto me for support, like a lifeline... just the way Julia did. I looked at Nadiána's face again and studied her features, and I started to note similarities with Julia. Her upper lip was slightly thinner than her lower, like Julia's. Her nose was shaped the same way, her eyebrows were arched and pulled down slightly towards the bridge of her nose. It was like Julia's face was copied exactly into Nadiána's; she was the spitting image of her mother, and every bit as lovely. I smiled a sad smile, thinking that, if Julia didn't survive, at least part of her will still live on in her daughter.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Smith had interrupted my reverie.

"Yes," I agreed, my tone sad. "It's a shame her life had to start out this way."

Smith nodded and put his hand on my shoulder comfortingly, but also reminding me of my original purpose here. Carefully, I pulled my finger from Nadiána's iron grip and gently laid her little hand back on the gurney, then I turned away.

I held Julia's hand now in both of mine, resting my elbows on the mattress, staring at her face. She was perfectly motionless apart from the slow rise and fall of her chest – she was on a ventilator, too. I sighed wearily and leaned my head against our hands. I wondered then if she would hear me if I spoke. Dixon told me she might be able to, so I decided to try.

"I saw Nadiána," I told her quietly, not feeling the least bit strange at speaking out loud to this still body. "She's beautiful." I paused, sitting up. "She looks like you."

I suddenly had this urge to say more, and I realised it must be because that's what Julia would say if she could – she'd want me to tell her more about Nadiána.

So I did.

"She's off the ventilator now. Smith said her lungs have grown strong. She's moving more now, too; she can wriggle her body. She still hasn't opened her eyes, Dixon's not sure why that is, but he says she'll do it in her own time."

I looked at Julia's face again, to see if she was giving some sort of sign that she'd comprehended anything I'd said. She wasn't, so I continued.

"Her hair's black, though, and she's got nice colour to her skin. Though, I'm sure that won't last long with no Vitamin D exposure. She's still pretty small, too, but Dixon says she'll mature into the size of a normal newborn in another week or so. She makes noises, too, like little gurgles."

I chuckled at the memory of the sounds that came from Nadiána's mouth. It was funny to watch her wriggle and make grunting noises that managed to sound impatient, almost like she was trying to communicate with us. The faint joy of the memory wore off quickly and I looked at Julia's face again, my eyebrows pulling together.

"Jules, you gotta come back to us," I told her, gripping her hand tighter. "Or I don't know what I'm gonna tell her. What happens when she gets older and wonders where her mother is? What would I say?"

I didn't even want to think about it. What could you tell a kid whose mother had died because they were born and whose father, as far as they were concerned, didn't exist? I let out a shaky sigh, the very thought of the words I would have to force to my lips in that situation distressing me.

"I wouldn't know what to do. Not just with her, but with myself. I know what you would say – that I'd have to carry on with my life. But there is no life without you, Julia. Not for me."

I could feel myself getting emotional, and I tried to remain composed.

"You used to talk about needing me, 'like air' you said. But you never seemed to realise that I need you just as much as you need me. You're my air, too. And I know that you're stronger than this."

I leaned my head against my hands that were wrapped around hers. I exhaled deeply.

"I love you, my sister. And I don't know what I'll do if you leave me now."

I shut my eyes tightly and felt a tear roll down my left cheek. I didn't care. I pressed my forehead into our hands and let my despair for her consume me. Normally it's not in a man's character to sit there and cry about it, but I couldn't see what else I could do for her. And I wasn't a man – I was just a boy. A boy who was gonna lose the most important person in his life and there was nothing he could do about it.

I felt someone's hand on my shoulder then. I opened my eyes and sniffed, but I didn't move. Whoever it was kneeled on the floor next to my chair and laid their other hand on my arm.

"Vaughn..."

I lifted my head up, neither embarrassed nor ashamed. "Hey, Reily."

She sighed sympathetically and rubbed my shoulder. She looked over at Julia's face as I was – she was so still it was hard to believe she was still alive. There was a few minutes' silence before Reily spoke.

"I was out in the hall," She said, not taking her eyes off Julia. "I heard you talking."

It took me a moment to respond. "I was telling her about Nadiána." My voice was shaky.

"Do you think she can hear us?"

"I hope so, I might not get another chance to tell her."

"We need to stay positive," Her expression was sad in contrast with her words. "If we don't have faith in her, then she won't pull through."

"Faith just isn't enough anymore, Reily."

"You don't have to tell me twice." She sighed and sat down on the floor.

I paused, shutting my eyes tightly to fight against my sudden anger. "She's just a child." Another tear rolled down my right cheek, which Reily saw.

"I know, Vaughn. No one should have to go through this. But what's done is done." Anger was evident in her tone.

I looked at her and turned my head slightly. "It doesn't make it right."

"I never said that. Nothing in this fucking world is right anymore."

I looked away and shut my eyes again, not wanting to continue the conversation. I sucked in a deep breath to calm myself and fight the despair. I heard a shuddered breath from Reily and she stood up. I looked up at her questioningly.

"Come on," She said. "You need something to eat. Corlina's standing guard."

I sighed. She began to head for the door, and I took my chance to tell her what I knew she'd been dying to know.

"I know about you," I told her, turning my head towards her. "I know who you are."

She turned and looked at me with a confused expression. "What are you talking about?" 

"Julia told me everything. Years ago, when she first came here. I know where you came from, how you got to Earth, why you've returned." I gave her a moment to absorb that, then I continued. "Reily, I swear to you, you will get the answers you seek. If Julia dies... I will tell you what you want to know. It's what she'd want."

She looked slightly pissed and stepped closer. "You think I give a shit about that at the moment?"

"I just thought you should know." I turned back towards Julia.

"The only thing I want at the moment is for Julia to wake up. I don't give a damn about my past right now."

"You don't realise how important you are. If Julia doesn't make it, you're the only one left. And you have to accept that Julia may not be around to tell you."

Just then, as if on cue, Dixon entered the room and was about to speak, just as the monitor flat lined. The three of us whipped our heads towards the screen and there was a second of silence before we snapped into action once more. Dixon rushed over to Julia's other side and removed the ventilator so he could begin CPR. I turned to grab the defibrillator, but Reily was already handing it to me. I turned the dial to 150 and waited. Smith entered the room before long and ran over to me, taking over with the defibrillator. I don't remember why or what I said, but I found myself yelling, almost screaming at Julia. I was leaning over her, gripping the bed head in my left hand, my right gripping the mattress. I kept looking over at Dixon as he worked to revive her.

Dixon gave up on CPR and he and Smith began to shock her heart. Staring at Julia's face, it seemed as if each shock sucked the life further from her, rather than bringing her back. I screamed at her again, begging her not to give up. I looked over at Reily standing behind me, near the wall. Her cheeks were streaked with the tears that were silently falling. Her eyes met mine and she looked how I felt. I returned my attention back to Julia – face still lifeless, her chest being forced to heave with every electric pulse. I glanced at Dixon's face again and saw a look of hopelessness that I knew well – he already realised there was nothing more to do, but giving up meant failing.

Smith yelled clear again and Dixon pressed the paddles to Julia's body one more time. Her chest heaved and the monitor beeped as her heart stuttered, faltered, then picked up and her eyes flew open. Julia's back arched as she drew in a great breath and released it in a loud groan that sounded like a suppressed scream. She gasped and began breathing again in short, strong spurts. Her eyes darted about her, but I had a feeling they weren't seeing much.

"Julia?" Several voices demanded at different intervals.

"Julia, can you hear us?" Dixon laid his hand on her arm.

She gasped again and panted, shutting her eyes tight and reopening them in a more controlled way. Her eyes continued to dart between the four faces staring down at her incredulously. Her breathing calmed until it was just short gasps between her lips. She blinked again, like she'd been dreaming and was trying to wake up. Her eyes were wide in an expression of utter shock and disbelief.

"Can you hear me, Julia?" Dixon asked again, his voice urgent.

She took a moment, like she was collecting her thoughts and blinked again.

"Yes."


	22. Come Full Circle

21. Come Full Circle

I felt strange – bewildered, as I stared into the darkness. I didn't know where I was, or how I'd come to be here, all I had was a strange impulse to continue forward into the black. I allowed the shadow to embrace me and what I found on the other side took me off guard. The scene before me was lovely – so bright and vibrant and full of colour. It was hard to believe it was real. I stood in a field that stretched to every horizon, dotted with the flowers that used to grow on the outskirts of my hometown. The grass was lush and a gorgeous green in the sunlight. It felt good beneath my bare feet. I wriggled my toes in the blades and breathed in the sweet summer air.

"Little Alex?"

I turned at the sound of the familiar voice and was met with the pale strawberry eyes of my sister, Sydney. She walked casually towards me, her features just how I remembered them. Except, I should have been two feet taller than her. I looked down at myself and found that my features were all smaller than I remembered. I then realised that I was definitely dreaming, and what I saw before me was the scene of my childhood. Sydney smiled her lovely smile and reached out to take my hand like she always used to. I took it eagerly, grateful to know that I wasn't having a nightmare for once.

Sydney led me through the blue and white flowers for a way until we came to a stop. I looked past her where I could see something approaching us. I half-hid myself behind her as I usually did, poking one eye out so I could see. I realised that the silhouette approaching us was actually two people. Adults, I figured, since they were much taller. As they drew closer, I saw that they walked hand-in-hand – a man and a woman whose figures seemed familiar. Once they broke through the gloom that seemed to stretch so I could not see more than thirty feet in front of me, I recognised them to be my mother and father.

I wanted to run to them, but caution and suspicion told me to stay put. Instead, I stepped out from behind Sydney timidly and gave my parents a sideways glance. They smiled when they saw us – warm and inviting. I smiled back despite myself and Sydney let go of my hand and began to advance towards them. When she was halfway between me and them, she turned back and smiled her beautiful smile.

"It's alright, little Alex," She assured, stretching her hand out towards me. "Don't be afraid."

Feeling very much like a child again, I walked slowly forward and took her hand. She smiled at me and continued to lead on. I looked up at my parents again – they had stopped walking now, still smiling warmly. My mother opened her arms like she always used to, and I found myself running to her. I jumped up into her arms and embraced her and she held me close the way I remembered. I laughed happily, smiling widely.

Then suddenly the scene changed and I was watching from a distance – an onlooker. I watched myself as I laughed with my mother, father and sister. I stared sadly as I saw the family and life I'd left behind. Then I heard footsteps behind me and turned. A small figure was walking towards me from the gloom, and as it came into the light, I recognised myself as a child. But, I was different somehow, and it wasn't until the little girl looked up that I realised why that was. This child bore the features of the only family I now knew – my Nadiána. She smiled up at me as she approached and took my hand confidently.

"What happened wasn't your fault, you know." She told me in my own childlike voice.

I looked back at my family who were all looking at us now, my younger self still in my mother's arms. I stared back at myself and had a strange sense of insight, like I was having an out of body experience.

"You can let them go now," Nadiána continued. "They'll forgive you for moving on with your life."

Sydney smiled at me and nodded as Nadiána said this, almost as if she was encouraging me. I looked at my father's face; he looked the way I remembered him – kind and caring.

"Will _he_ forgive me?" I asked, nodding at my father.

Nadiána smiled. "He is still your father. Deep down, he wants what's best for you."

I gazed into my father's eyes for a moment longer, his boring back into mine, and saw the man that I had once called 'Daddy' and laughed as he picked me up in a big bear hug and swung me around until I was dizzy. But I knew those days were gone now and nothing more than memory.

"His future may be lost," Nadiána continued. "But you can still have one."

I turned to look at her and smiled proudly. I squeezed her hand and pulled her closer to my side.

"You are my future." I told her.

She grinned back at me, and after one last glance at my family, I turned and walked back into the gloom with my daughter, finally leaving my past behind me.

My eyes fluttered slowly open to the familiar off-white ceiling of the infirmary room and I squinted against a harsh light somewhere close by. I rolled my head to the side, and shut my eyes to escape the light, then it was moved. I opened my eyes, suddenly aware of someone in the room with me. I looked to my left and could make out the pale skin, white hair and blue eyes of my favourite person in the world.

"Jules?"

I blinked twice, trying to focus now that the light was gone. I concentrated on bringing his features into focus, and eventually was able to see him clearly.

"Vaughn?"

My voice sounded weak and crackly, like my throat was dry. I tried to swallow, but it hurt, probably because I hadn't swallowed in a while.

"I'm here." Vaughn replied, taking my hand gently.

I curled my fingers around his, enjoying the warmth of his hand. I then wondered exactly how long I had been lying here. I couldn't remember much about before, just that I was in a lot of pain, and Dixon whispering her name. My baby... where was she?

"Where is she, Vaughn," I asked faintly. "Where is Nadiána?"

Vaughn laid his other hand on my shoulder. "She's still in the ICU. Dixon's monitoring her for now."

"What happened?"

"Dixon said you had something called Placental Abruption and he had to deliver her early."

Other memories came back then and my eyes opened wider as my mind started to get its bearings. I remembered Dixon say something to Dr Smith...

"She wasn't breathing," I stated.

"No, she wasn't. Her lungs weren't fully developed."

I began to panic. "Is she okay?"

"Julia, she's fine." I relaxed and waited for him to continue. "She was on a ventilator for a while, but she's breathing on her own now and almost fully grown to the size of a normal newborn."

I furrowed my brows. "How long have I been in here?"

"Just over three weeks."

"_Three weeks?_" I demanded and he nodded once. "What the hell happened?"

"You don't remember?"

I just shook my head. Vaughn sighed and looked at me, preparing himself. He looked very tired, like he hadn't slept much in the last three weeks. I wagered he hadn't.

"After Smith took Nadiána to the ICU, you passed out, then your heart failed. We got it going again, but you were in some sort of coma. Dixon said your body and mind had almost completely shut down in self-defence."

I blinked, astonished and unable to answer, so he continued.

"Your heart failed a second time two days ago, and when we revived you again, you woke up. Dixon said it happens sometimes – coma patients being shocked awake for no discernible reason when they're revived. You passed out again shortly after and you've been asleep since."

I took a moment to absorb it all, my memory slowly returning to me in bits and pieces. I remembered screaming at Dixon to save her, I remembered the pain I felt as I pushed, I remembered passing out, but I didn't remember waking up before now. It felt strange, being told about something that happened to you that you have no recollection of.

"Do you remember any of this, Julia?" Vaughn interrupted my reverie.

I returned my attention to him. "Only parts of it. It's all kind of blurry."

"Dixon said that might happen – your conscious mind is blocking it out."

"Was it really that horrible?"

He nodded once, harshly, and I suddenly remembered that he had been in the room with me through all of it. I looked into his eyes and saw the horror of what he had witnessed, and looked away.

"Gods..." Was all I could say.

He moved his hand from my shoulder and smoothed my hair, brushing the shorter strands of hair around my face back out of my eyes. I leaned my head into his hand and closed my eyes. I didn't realise that a tear had slid down my cheek until he wiped it away. I wiped my eye with the back of my hand and sniffled.

"Jules, it's okay."

"I know," I assured him quickly. "It's just catching up with me, I guess."

Vaughn leaned over me and kissed my forehead tenderly, then he leaned down to look in my eyes.

"It's all over now," He reminded me.

I gave a small smile at the thought that he returned, then I threw my arms around his neck, a relieved sob escaping my lips. He laid one arm around my back gently, hugging me back. I was overwhelmed at the realisation that he was right – it was all over. Nadiána and I were both alive and we were going to be okay. Against all odds, we had survived.

Dixon came in, then – such stellar timing the man had – with a big smile on his face. He must have already known I was awake, because he was followed by Dr Smith who was also looking rather smug. I pulled away from Vaughn and wiped my eyes again, smiling back at them. Dixon came to my side.

"Welcome back," He said. "How are you feeling?" 

I sniffed. "I'm alive."

Dixon smiled wider. "There's someone we thought you might want to meet."

Dixon and Smith both turned back towards the door and I looked to see who they were waiting for. Nico came in holding what at first looked like a bundle of blankets, then I saw the tiny face hidden inside them. I gasped and put a hand over my mouth, overwhelmed at the sight of her. Nico smiled widely at my reaction and came towards me.

"Oh, let me see her," I said to Nico as she came closer.

Nico approached my bed and carefully handed her to me, trying not to jostle her. I held her tenderly in my arms, and yet almost expertly. I was surprised at how easy it was, how natural it felt to hold her. I stared down at her in wonder, studying her features. I had a vague memory of Vaughn telling me about her, or was that a dream? As I looked at her now, I saw a lot of myself in her features, and yet she certainly had her own distinction. Her eyebrows and what little hair she had were jet black and her skin was a creamy ivory. Her eyes were closed and I could see the jitter of movement behind her pale lavender lids.

"She's so perfect," I said, my voice sounding like I wanted to cry. I looked up at Dixon and Smith with a smile on my lips. "Thank you."

"Don't thank us," Dixon said, also smiling. "You're the one who worked for her."

I looked back down at her, my baby, my Nadiána. She was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. Another tear – this time of joy and wonder – rolled down my cheek as I gazed at her lovingly. My smile grew wider and I laughed once in astonishment. I let the tears of joy fall, embracing my emotions for the first time in a long time. One landed on Nadiána's porcelain cheek and I reached out tenderly to wipe it away with my thumb. As I drew my hand back, she grabbed a hold of my left index finger and held it tightly in her tiny fist. I laughed again at this and how strong her grip felt, then I leaned down to kiss her little fingers softly and she made a gurgling noise that made everyone chuckle.

"Nadiána," I crooned. "So beautiful."

Vaughn leaned down over my shoulder and smiled at me when I looked up at him. Then he turned his gaze to Nadiána and looked upon her with reverence, like she was a deity that he worshipped.

"She is beautiful," He agreed. "Just like her mother."

I grinned at him, slightly embarrassed and looked back at Nadiána just as she stirred in my arms. I stared at her restless lids intently and watched as she opened her eyes to stare back at me. My pure bliss faded slightly then as I saw the green eyes of Nadiána's father copied into hers. My smile turned faintly sad as reality hit me hard once more, and I knew that for every day of the rest of my life I would have to look at my daughter – so fragile, so perfect – and see him. Vaughn sensed my change of mood and reached his hand out to gently stroke Nadiána's face.

"I think her eyes are brighter," He said.

I smiled genuinely again at his subtle attempt to make me feel better. Nadiána gurgled and dribbled a bit and everyone laughed at her. Seeing the brightness in her eyes that Vaughn spoke of comforted me and I knew that this beautiful little person would never become like her father. I leaned down and kissed her forehead and she reached out with her other hand and grabbed hold of my hair that was dangling in front of her. I looked into her green eyes, trying to see them from a different perspective, as she looked up at me. She held my gaze in a manner that stunned me – her stare seemed intelligent as if she was more aware of the world around her than any newborn should be.

It seemed incredible to me, how quickly this little girl already had me – and everyone else by the looks of it – wrapped around her little fingers. But as I stared into her eyes I knew why; she was completely enthralling in every way. Impossible. A miracle. And she was mine. We had both survived a terrible ordeal, and now I got to keep her forever. I wanted to stay like this – holding her in my arms always. It already felt so natural, more right than I had ever expected it to feel. I didn't know what I'd been so worried about all this time, all my fears seemed so far away now. I made a conscious decision then to move forward and not worry about the past, to just enjoy whatever time I got to spend with her. My daughter, Nadiána.

Even if there was nothing else good left in my life, from now on I would have her.

_September, 1790_

The dream I had that night was unremarkable, just images of the different places I'd been and people I knew in different situations that didn't make any sense. Just a jumble of memories stored away in my head. I awoke feeling just about as rested as I had every night recently, which was not much. Not since I had a baby to look after, a baby that had now woken me up with her crying. I groaned and turned over in my bed, onto my stomach that was now flat again. I knew that I couldn't ignore her, though, so I sighed and prepared myself to get up. Then the crying lessened and stopped altogether. I sat up quickly, confused, then abruptly panicked. I threw my covers back and almost sprinted across the hall to Nadiána's bedroom door where I stopped.

My baby was fine, and perfectly safe in Vaughn's arms. He was rocking her gently back and forth, whispering to her in _Ônaleüriáek_. I smiled when I saw them and stepped into the room. Vaughn looked up at me and returned the smile. I raised my eyebrows in question as I walked towards them.

"I just walked in when she started crying," Vaughn explained in a low voice. "I thought I'd let you sleep for once."

"Like I could sleep through the racket she makes." I whispered back.

Vaughn laughed quietly and Nadiána made a gurgling noise that sounded as if she were threatening to cry again. 

"Shh, shh," He lulled her. "Shh, Nadia."

Everyone had taken to calling her Nadia for short, since most of them found it taxing to call her Nadiána constantly. I didn't mind – I had named her after a Nadia, after all. I smiled down at her, watching her screw up her face and relax it again as if she couldn't decided whether she was frustrated or content. I smoothed my hand gently over her head where her fine black hair had grown thick enough to cover her whole scalp. She stirred under my hand and looked up at me with her bright green eyes. Every time I looked into her eyes, it shocked me to see how intelligent they were, how full of depth. And it also made me sad to think of the reason behind Nadiána's existence.

Sage had told me once that, for reasons he couldn't explain, he couldn't hear Nadia's thoughts. That had shocked me – as far as I knew that had never happened before. He knew right from the beginning that she was special, and not just because of the fact that he can't get inside her head. She did things, sometimes disturbing things, that were quite advanced for her age. She seemed already very aware of the world and everyone around her and already she was learning how to mimic the others in order to communicate something. Her rate of development worried me, but Dixon assured me that nothing was wrong, just that she was different; perhaps even gifted. I trusted his judgement, but still couldn't help being unsettled. At only almost four months of age, she could already communicate to others, in her way. That wasn't normal.

Vaughn noticed my distracted expression and knew what it meant.

"You need to stop worrying about her."

"I can't help it," I sighed. "It's a mother's job to worry, isn't it?"

He just chuckled softly and Nadia stirred and grizzled.

"Here," He said, handing her to me. "I think she wants you."

I took her expertly in my arms, patting her back gently with my hand and rocking my body slowly from side to side. She calmed down easily enough, and I hummed an old Aklorian lullaby to her to soothe her. Vaughn came and stood at my side, looking down at Nadia and smiling like a goof. I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed.

"She's gonna be just like her mother," He whispered.

"Oh, I hope not," I replied. "She could be a... doctor or a teacher or just _anything_ that does not involve wearing contact lenses."

Vaughn put a hand to his mouth, struggling not to laugh out loud. I put a finger to my lips and mouthed "Shh" at him. He mouthed back "Sorry" and recomposed himself, putting an arm around my shoulder and kissing my hair. It was silent for a moment as I rested my head on his shoulder and watched my baby sleeping, then Vaughn moved his head to look at me.

"Happy seventh of September," He grinned

"What?" I demanded.

"Well you already told me I'm not allowed to say 'Happy Birth—'"

"Alright!" I cut him off.

He chuckled again and squeezed my shoulder. I sighed inwardly – the 7th of September already. It was my fifteenth birthday. How time flies. I hated birthdays, Vaughn knew this. It was just another mark of a year of my life passing by. Sure there were things to celebrate, like the fact that I had managed to survive another year. But I guess this birthday was a greater cause for celebration considering the year that I'd had. The year we'd _all_ had.

"Regardless, you are going to relax today," Vaughn continued. "That's an order from all of us."

I rolled my eyes again and mumbled something incoherent. Vaughn sighed and shook his head in an exaggerated manner. Nadia grizzled impatiently and wriggled in my arms.

"Alright, come on," I said to her as I lifted her up so she was resting against my shoulder. "Let's get you some breakfast, hm?"

It almost looked like her expression became happier at my words. Vaughn and I both laughed as we headed downstairs together.

According to Reily, who popped in after breakfast, I was under explicit orders from Caprine herself to stay home today. I wasn't about to argue with them – secretly I was happy at this news. I was exhausted and would enjoy a day with my daughter for once. I left her here with the others too often, always going off on solo missions these days – running 'errands' for Caprine. I worried about how much time Nadia was spending with other people as a ratio to how much time she was spending with me.

Vaughn worried too, but for different reasons. Ever since Nadia's birth, he worried that something would happen to me while I was away and I wouldn't come back, leaving Nadia without her mother. It concerned me as well – my mother had died when I was seven years old. I knew what it was like to grow up without a mother, and I didn't want that for Nadia. Whether something happened to me, or whether it was just because I was away too much. I always made an effort to make up for the time I spent away from her by making the most of the time we did have together.

But today I would put those concerns at the back of my mind. It was just me and her for the whole day – the best birthday gift I could have asked for. And I didn't even ask for it. I smiled to myself as I nursed my baby on the couch in my living room. She was looking around the room with wide eyes in an expression of curious wonder that was hilarious. I chuckled at her and she looked at me with the same expression, which made me laugh harder. She smiled her toothless smile and made a noise that sounded like giggling. I grinned at her and kissed her on the cheek, then hugged her close to me, enjoying the moment. There were so few of them.

Of course we weren't alone for the entire day – the others all came and went at various intervals. Dixon came over to ask me how I was doing and to remind me about my appointment with him in two days. Nico and Jason followed in an hour later with news of the Testing Facility under construction at the Stronghold that seemed like it was mentioned a lifetime ago now.

"Khoul contacted us this morning," Jason had explained. "He says the construction on what's now called the 'Plasma Testing Facility'" – he'd made quotation marks with his fingers at the name – "is due to be completed sometime in June next year."

"Does he have any idea when they'll begin testing the Plasma compound on weaponry?" I asked.

"He says there hasn't been any official say yet, but he expects that it will be less than a month after the construction is complete – Daegonn is impatient to get this new technology up and running."

"I'll bet. If he can find a way to combine the most deadly poison known to Man or Un-Man into all of his common artillery, he'll have the most powerful army in history."

"Exactly, you can imagine how eager he would be for that kind of power."

"But, you needn't worry about that today," Nico interjected as Nadiána, wriggling in her arms, pulled on her long white hair. "We will be perfectly fine handling the war ourselves. You need to spend this time with your little angel." She smiled widely at Nadia.

"Yeah, angel's not what I'd call her," I teased, reaching for my daughter as she reached for me, and taking her in my arms. "Thank you, Jason."

"No problem." He smiled warmly. "We'll see you later, Jules."

"Call if you need anything." Nico threw in as they turned to leave the apartment.

I raised an eyebrow at the closed door after they left. I turned to Nadia who was making dribbling noises as she attempted to chew on the bracelet Aspanaki gave her.

"Well, that was odd." I said to her. She just looked at me like I was a crazy person. I laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right." I smiled. "Shall we?"

She just smiled her toothless grin again and I took her into the living room. Dixon, Jason and Nico weren't the only ones to stop by – Harrison, the youngest werewolf and a good friend, dropped by to see how we were doing and to almost wish me a happy birthday before my steely glare cut him off. I saw Sage briefly after that, then Vaughn again, then Reily and even Aspanaki called in. And apart from Harrison, not one of them had even mentioned the word 'birthday' like I'd asked them not to... which made me suspicious. They had to be up to something, surely, or they wouldn't all be trying so hard to distract me and even stop me from leaving the apartment.

'_Silly girl,' _I told myself. _'They're probably just concerned about you. You did almost die three months ago, after all.'_

Maybe. _That_ concerned? I wasn't convinced. I could smell it in the atmosphere of the Keep – there was definitely something amiss. I pursed my lips as I became lost in deep thought, then I told myself I was probably overreacting. They knew how much I disliked them making a thrombo; they wouldn't dare.

Of course they would. I should have known that when I returned from a random request from Corlina to assist her with a basic surveillance issue I would find everyone in my apartment jumping out from their various hiding places and shouting 'Surprise'. And I was surprised despite my suspicions, because I suppose foolishly I had believed that they would never throw me a birthday party let alone a surprise one. At least none of them said 'happy birthday'.

Then what was even more surprising was that after they had all shouted 'Surprise', they broke into a chorus that was completely unfamiliar to me. I stood there laughing incredulously at their various voices – one particularly booming and out of tune compared to the others – and their joyous expressions as they sang the strange song. As they finished they all cheered and Reily winked at me, clearly the culprit behind the disassembled choir.

"What was that?" I asked her.

"Just a little Earth tradition I taught them." She grinned.

But I was nothing but grateful and touched when I discovered how much trouble they'd gone to for the occasion. Nico had spent most of the day cooking with Sage, with Jason and Reily helping with the safe tasks, but watching most of the time. She had prepared a mighty feast indeed for our gathering especially considering there were six werewolves present. There were stews and baked potatoes and other boiled vegetables of every variety. There was Reptuffalo steaks and grilled chicken and a loaf of freshly baked bread and even some butter. I couldn't imagine the effort it would have taken to gather all this food.

I couldn't contain my emotion as I saw what they had done for me and a few tears escaped my eyes; attack of the hormones again. Once I was done being a complete sap, we all sat down to a beautiful meal together. The food was delicious and the company and conversation even better. We mostly just talked in our little groups, but occasionally we would have one big conversation with the entire table when someone up the other end heard a statement they just had to comment on. I laughed a lot that night and found myself thoroughly enjoying the occasion despite my distaste for birthdays.

After we had been absolutely stuffed with all the yummy food, and we thought we couldn't possibly eat any more, Nico brought out two monstrous Halamby fruit pies. You can never say no to Nico's Halamby pie. After we had all devoured dessert, I heard the _ting, ting, ting_ of someone tapping their fork on their glass and turned my head to see Vaughn standing up opposite to me.

"Oh, no..." I muttered in horror.

He grinned stupidly at me and winked, then faced everyone. "Can I have your attention please? Shut up, all of you." Everyone laughed, then he turned to me. "I can see you over there, shrinking in your seat. I know how much you hate 'embarrassing speeches', but too bad." I put a hand to my face and flushed the same colour as the filling in the pie. "Firstly, I want to propose a toast to the youngest member of our little family and the newest. To Nadiána – you have already wrapped us all around your little fingers. And I'm sure that you will provide many years of laughter and happiness for us all." Everyone called out in agreement and raised their glasses. "Secondly, to her mother, Julia. We are so lucky to still have you in our lives today. There was a moment there where the outcome looked grim, but you have always been a fighter. Nadia could not have a better role model. And I want you to know that we will continue to fight for you both, until the end."

Vaughn raised his glass in a toast and the others joined him. I smiled in complete embarrassment and tried to hide the fact that I was getting teary again. I kissed Nadia's head who was sitting on my lap and she reached up to grab a fistful of my hair.

"To Nadia and Julia," Vaughn declared.

"To Nadia and Julia!" Everyone chorused, clinking their glasses against one another.

Nadia clapped her hands and giggled in delight and everyone laughed at her.

Reily turned to me with her glass. "Cheers." 

"Cheers," I picked mine up and touched it to hers, then we both took a swig.

I lowered my voice below the chatter that had picked up again. "Your questions will be answered," She gave me a funny look. "Come and see me later tonight."

She raised her eyebrows. "Ah. Okay, then." She turned back to listen to the conversation, her expression distracted.

I took another swig from my glass, then rejoined the chatter.

Everyone helped me pack up after the meal, but I told them all to go get some sleep after an hour or so. Harrison was the only one who insisted on staying behind, and I was too tired to argue.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" He asked, picking up the remains of the rubbish on the dining table.

"I did, actually," I smiled.

He smiled back. "Good to hear." He grabbed another garbage bag and stuffed the rubbish in it.

"Thanks for helping, Harry."

He chuckled at the nickname. "Never get used to that. No worries, Jules. I'll be back."

He scooped up the two garbage bags that were on the floor and hoisted the one he was already carrying over his shoulder effortlessly and strode out of the apartment, headed for the waste disposal.

"Don't fall in the bin." I called to him.

I heard him laugh as he walked down the hall towards the stairs. I chuckled and went back to wiping down the table with a damp cloth. I was lost in my thoughts when Harrison came back, so he took me by surprise when he picked me up from behind.

"One last surprise for ya,"

"Oof!" I huffed. "What are you doing?"

He started to spin around slowly, then flipped me over his shoulder like I was another bag of garbage. "Trying to get one last laugh out of you," He stated, putting me back down.

I was already laughing. Once he set me back on my feet, I thumped him on the shoulder, knowing it wouldn't hurt. "Go on, get outta here."

He shook his head. "Not until you're in bed. I can do the rest of the cleaning, you need your rest."

I was about to protest, then Nadiána started crying. I headed upstairs to her room, across the hall from mine, and lifted her out of the crib that the boys built for her.

"Oh, bubba," I lulled. "Shh, shh. Oh, what's the matter?" I patted her back gently and bobbed up and down.

Harrison took a sniff and then turned away. "Hoy, don't need to tell me twice what's wrong." He chuckled, holding his nose theatrically. 

I made a face. "Yeah,"

"You handle her, I'll deal with this." He gestured downstairs.

"Oh, you don't have to do that, you've all done so much already."

He shrugged. "It's the least I can do. I don't mind really." He grinned. "You look like you could use the extra muscle." And he flexed his arms to show said muscle.

I rolled my eyes. "Go on then, you show-off."

He chuckled and jogged back down the stairs. After a moment, I could hear him cleaning up – banging around and putting things away.

I shook my head. "So noisy," I said quietly.

"Sorry." Came the reply.

He continued to clean up more quietly as I sorted out Nadia's, er... situation. I started patting her back gently, trying to lull her back to sleep, singing to her softly in _Ônaleüriáek_. Eventually, Harrison came back upstairs to the doorway.

"All clean," He announced in a hushed voice as Nadia's eyes were already closed.

"Thanks, Harrison,"

"Whenever you need help, don't be afraid to ask."

"Thanks."

Harrison yawned hugely. "Time to hit the hay, I think." He gave me a one-armed hug, being careful not to jostle the almost-asleep baby. "I'm off. Sleep well, Jules."

"You, too." Nadia gurgled a happy sound.

As Harrison left the room, I heard and saw Reily coming up the stairs. She said goodnight to him as she passed and he returned it.

"Hey, Jules," She whispered, tip-toeing into the room.

I smiled at her. "Hey,"

"So what did you think of our little shindig?"

"Everything was perfect. Thank you."

"I'm glad. So," She put her arm around my shoulders, mindful of Nadia and gave me a stupid look. "How does it feel to be fifteen years old?" She winked at me.

"Not as definitive as I thought."

"Never is," She sighed and dropped her arm. "A birthday will never be what you expect."

I furrowed my eyebrows in a frown. "I owe you a lot of answers, don't I?"

She looked shocked for a moment, then gathered herself. "Ah, don't worry about it," She waved a dismissive hand. "I'll find out eventually. There's no rush, Jules." She smiled reassuringly.

I wasn't reassured. "No, you need to know..." I changed my tact. "You _deserve_ to know the truth."

"Thank you, Julia. But what will come from me knowing the truth? As much as I would like answers, I'm just not sure I'm ready."

"Regardless of whether you're ready or not, now is the time."

She looked worried. "What's going to... happen to me?"

I wasn't sure how to answer, as I didn't know myself. "Everything will be revealed once I take you to the Temple."

"And then you'll take me to Theresa?"

I nodded and Reily nodded slowly in response, then left the room as she saw that Nadia was now asleep. I laid Nadia in her crib, then followed Reily, shutting the door carefully behind me. I descended the stairs quietly and found Reily in the dining room. She was just standing there, deep in thought. I approached her and she thawed out.

"You really didn't want me to come back," She began. "Because you thought you could save me?"

"From this life, at least," My voice was sad.

Reily gave a small, sad smile. "Sometimes I wonder which life is worse: the one on Earth or here. Guess I'll find out after we go to this temple."

"Trust me – until you learn the truth, you haven't seen anything yet."

She shuddered slightly and muttered in _Ônaleüriáek_ which gave me a bit of a shock. "_Nǽd tahéowî_?"

"_Nǽd'ne váihe_," I replied, slightly harsh. "_S'am sahéit'n_."

"Sorry, force of habit to blame myself."

"Nothing that happens to you from now on is your fault." I told her sternly.

Reily sighed. "I should probably go. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

I nodded solemnly and watched her leave. I sighed sadly to myself, then went back upstairs.


	23. Temple Miŕa

22. Temple Miŕa

The following morning, I wandered into the stables behind the blacksmith's workshop. I could hear Riklak hammering away at the anvil as he usually did at this early hour. As I entered the stables, a strong smell of straw, leather and must mixed with that unique horse-y scent hit me. I breathed in deeply and sighed – I loved the smell of the stables.

I started along the cobblestone floor and the sound alerted the horses to my presence. Several of them stuck their heads out of their stalls, their eyes wide and their ears pointed forward. I smiled and started walking between them towards the other end of the barn, greeting each of them as I passed. Vaughn's horse, Theo (short for Apotheosis) nickered at me as I passed him and I nodded my head and gave him a quick scratch on the nose. As I neared the last stall, a black beauty with a long forelock and rounded, feminine features poked her head out and whinnied when she caught sight of me.

"Hey, girl," I greeted her, smiling.

She nickered and nodded her head up and down in exaggerated movements. She was excited to see me; I hadn't been out here in a while. It was funny how the horses never seemed to forget a face, no matter how much it changed. She nuzzled my cheek when I reached her and I delved into my pocket and produced a carrot which she munched on gratefully. I stroked her nose softly and started murmuring to her in Aklorian.

"_Wáihe'y, Aisháa? Sarëoùmid dǽig?_"

I reached up to scratch the white diamond shape in the middle of her forehead. She lowered her dainty head to my level and I rested my cheek against the long bridge from her nose to her eyes. In that moment, I found myself in wonder at the fact that I could share such a strong relationship of trust with this animal. I had more faith in her than I did most people, and I know she felt the same way about me.

Our moment was interrupted by the sound of heavy, tired feet shuffling their way across the cobblestones. I lifted my head up as Aisháa seemed curious, but didn't move or speak. Reily made her way over to her horse's stall; Dusk stuck her head out and touched her nose to Reily's outstretched hand. She whispered a greeting to the horse and petted her, yawning hugely. It was silent for a moment before Reily spoke.

"How far away is Temple Miŕa?"

"It's in the mountains. Hence the horses."

She nodded and grabbed the brown leather saddle from its saddle horse next to the stall door and the bridle from its hook and went in to start tacking up and I did the same.

"Who's looking after Nadia?"

"Nico and Vaughn," Aisháa nuzzled my hair as I strapped her bridle on.

"Okay."

We both finished up and led the horses through the hall and out into the gardens. Reily hopped up onto Dusk and took a breath. 

"So... shall we?"

I stroked Aisháa's nose once more. "Yeah," I hoisted myself up onto her back using the pommel of the saddle to support me, and once I was seated, I clicked my tongue. "Aisháa, _taré_."

Reily followed suite and followed me across the gardens and through the many gates out of Cyantine. When we reached Ashenbark Woods, I looked across at Reily as she tried to suppress another yawn. She looked very tired – there were dark circles under her eyes.

"Didn't sleep well?"

She shook her head. "I kept dreaming, but I can't remember anything from them. Only that it scared me."

I nodded in understanding. "This shouldn't take long.

"Do you think we'll find any trouble out here?"

"Nothing more dangerous than wolufs and venom gnats, if we're lucky."

She readjusted her sidearm. "You and I don't have the best track record." She chuckled.

My expression was blank. "No."

Reily sighed and said nothing for several moments, then curiosity got the better of her. "What path will we be taking?"

"The south-western path," I responded, preparing to turn down that very path. "Away from the Stronghold."

Reily started scratching at her arms like something was irritating her. She swore when her scratching had no effect. I knew why.

"I wouldn't do that," I warned her sternly.

"Sorry," She stopped, looking a little sheepish.

"Sorry, I'm just..."

"Nervous?"

"I was gonna say trembling in my boots."

"That doesn't even begin to describe what I feel."

I didn't respond, just focussed on the road ahead.

"Not to sound like a little kid, but how much further?"

"Not far."

"Good, 'cos me and saddles don't mix too well." She winked at me.

I half-smiled and turned back around again. The atmosphere between the two of us was very different today – awkward from the tension.

"What does Temple Miŕa look like?"

"Not how you'd expect."

"Really? Huh."

I saw an opportunity to distract her and took it. "In fact, the door to the Temple is invisible when closed."

"The door... is invisible when closed," She repeated, raising her brows in confusion. "How the hell does that work?"

"You'll see."

She was lost in her thoughts the remainder of the way. As we reached the base of the mountains, I began searching with my eyes for the place where the door should be. I'd never seen it, but I'd been told before that I would know when I saw it. And when my eyes rested upon a seemingly insignificant rock face, I indeed knew. It was a strange feeling, like the rock had some kind of aura that was singing out to me and drawing me in. I pulled Aisháa up in front of the rock face and dismounted.

"How..." Reily wondered. "No way."

I smiled slightly, secretly hoping that this would work. "Watch."

I approached the rock face, removing the black leather glove from my left hand that concealed my Brand. I laid that hand against the rock, and sure enough, my Brand started to glow blue and soon the rock followed to reveal the shape of a large door carved in the stone. With a groan and grinding of rock, the door inched its way slowly open. I turned back to Reily and almost laughed at her gobsmacked expression. She was sitting there with her mouth open and eyes wide, just staring at the open space where the door used to be. I pulled my still-glowing hand back from the space.

"Come on," I told her.

Seeming to snap back to reality, she dismounted and joined me as I started into the darkness of the Temple, following closely behind. I lead on into what looked like a narrow hallway. I couldn't see any light at the other end, and as we went further in, the stone doors closed behind us. The finality hung in the air and the room turned pitch black.

"Oh, Gods," I muttered.

"Julia?" Reily's voice was nervous.

"It's alright, we just have to continue straight." I started to do so when I remembered something. "Ah! Of, course!" I lifted my left hand and snapped my fingers, conjuring a ball of fire in my palm that created sufficient light for us to see. "I forgot – I don't have to hide my power here."

Reily didn't seem overly startled at the pure magic resonating from my hand. She seemed more concerned about the dark, confined space we were in. She was shaking slightly as she grabbed my right arm for comfort and ventured forward with me.

"This temple was built centuries ago," I told her. "By Nenÿa and the first of the Spartans. It was a tribute to Miŕa, the one they called The Watcher. She was a Seer, like Theresa, and she used her power to watch over the Spartan race."

"So, she's like a hidden protector or something?"

"Yes. This temple was built so that when she died, her soul would live on here and she could continue to watch over the Spartan race. This is where a Spartan must come to be blessed by her and unlock their true power."

"So that's why we're here. So I can be blessed?"

"It's part of it. This is my first time coming here as well. We are both here for the same reason – to seek the Eternal Redemption that is our birth right."

"Eternal Redemption? Feels more like a curse."

"I'm talking about the Spartans' hidden gift. I didn't tell you before – once blessed by Miŕa, we will have access to a place known as the Resurrection Chamber. If one of us dies, the other can take them to this chamber and use the ancient mechanisms to sync the dead's system with the powers that manifest within. Three days later, the dead person awakens as if from a deep slumber."

Reily stopped in her tracks and stared at me incredulously. "Wait, so if we die... we can come back to life?"

"That's the legend. The Spartans haven't attempted to resurrect since before my time."

"Okay," She started walking again and I lead on.

As we progressed further in I began to see inscriptions on the stone walls. Depictions of people, places and events surrounded by text in a language I didn't actually recognise, which I assumed was the Spartan language which I had either never learned or had forgotten.

"What's all this?" Reily asked.

"Memories," I replied simply.

We reached the end of the corridor, then and stepped out into a large chamber. The walls were not smooth, but rather seemed to conform to the natural shape of the rock the chamber was cut out of. It was dimly lit by moonlight streaming in through a small hole in the high ceiling. Whether this was deliberate or a result of time and nature taking its course I wasn't sure. I could faintly see more inscriptions on the walls closest to us, as well as several wall-mounted fire cauldrons evenly spaced around the chamber's circumference.

"How can they be mem—wait, are my memories here?" Reily continued, distracted.

"Hold on," I said.

I closed my eyes and lifted my left hand up to my face. I whispered one of the few Spartan words I knew: '_Ur_', which means 'fire'. My brand lit up and I threw my hand out to my left, releasing a ball of fire that homed towards the nearest cauldron. The fireball seemed to implode and disappear to leave behind the lit cauldron. Once that one lit, it started a chain reaction by some unseen mechanism hidden inside the walls, and lit each of the cauldrons around the chamber in a line. The light illuminated the enormity of the chamber and the endless inscriptions on the walls. I turned around to Reily who was standing there with her mouth open, looking around in awe.

"Oh, my God," She whispered.

"My thoughts exactly," To be honest, I hadn't been expecting such a display.

"How many memories are here?" I saw she was about to touch one of the carvings.

"Don't touch them," I warned.

She looked shocked and backed up from the wall towards the middle of the room. I approached the carving she had been about to touch and examined it sadly.

"There are things in these memories you will never want to see."

Reily came to stand next to me again, looking closely at the wall. "Is this all written in Spartan?"

"Yes."

"Can you read this?"

"No, I never learned, I don't think."

"So I'm the only one who can?" 

I nodded. She turned back and began to read, keeping the words to herself. I don't know what she read, but it can't have been anything too terrible as her expression remained even. I turned around and looked about myself at the room, taking everything in. Before my time, it was considered the greatest honour of a Spartan's life to be brought to this temple and blessed by The Watcher. I _felt_ honoured, and I didn't know when, or even if, I'd ever come here again.

As my eyes wandered, they at last rested upon what I'd been waiting to see. The figure of Miŕa encased in stone, the depiction of The Watcher herself. Her statue loomed over the chamber with all the power and grace and beauty of my people. To me, it was an overwhelming sight. I pulled my left hand into a fist, laid my arm across my chest and bowed slightly in an ancient gesture of respect to this great Heroine of my people.

Reily rejoined me at my side. "So where to?"

"This way."

I lead her towards the statue of Miŕa, unable to take my eyes off her splendour. Again, I felt that strange pull as I had outside of the door to this place.

"How is all of this still here?" Reily questioned.

"There are only a select few people still living that know of this place."

"So..." Her tone became cautious. "Does _he_ know about this place?"

"I doubt it."

"Right."

She fell silent again and I continued to lead her to the back of the chamber where the statue stood. Having the honour of seeing The Watcher did not hold the same weight to Reily as it did to me, I knew. But still I saw her holding a reverent gaze with the statue and I wondered if she felt the same pull that I did. I pulled my eyes from Miŕa to examine the immediate space around her, trying to remember from my father's description to me years ago what I was looking for. My eyes rested upon the floor directly in front of the statue where a large depiction of the Spartan Brand was carved into the stone floor. I motioned for Reily to follow me as I approached the carving.

As we neared it, both of our Brands began to glow blue. I saw Reily pull a strange face and reach around to touch her Brand on the back of her neck. Then I remembered she had never felt that sensation before – when the magic within the Spartan blood pulsed stronger through the veins and gathered at that one spot. It was an interesting experience for me the first time, too. I sometimes forgot that this was all new to Reily, she seemed so natural in this role, even though she herself was not yet aware of what that role was.

Neither of us could halt our progress towards the statue as we felt that pull grow stronger. As we neared the carving, though, something stopped us in our tracks. I couldn't explain it, but suddenly warning bells were going off in my head, telling me not to take another step.

"This is Miŕa?" Reily questioned.

"Yes," I replied. "The Watcher in all her splendour."

Reily continued walking timidly and stopped before the Brand carving on the floor. "So, what do we do?" 

Ignoring the warning bells, I too approached the statue, passing Reily, until I was immediately before The Watcher. A blue glow coming from the ground drew my gaze and I saw that as I stepped onto it, the great Brand carving lit up like our Brands did. Reily came up from behind me, suddenly not seeming hesitant, and walked onto the carving. Nothing happened, so I decided maybe it was safe to continue. Still wary, I joined Reily in standing on the carving. As I stepped onto the stone, both mine and Reily's Brands' glowing intensified and suddenly I could faintly hear something. Whispers of strange words began to echo off the chamber walls. I could hear them grow softer and louder as they invisibly bounced off the stone.

"Can you hear that?" I looked at Reily.

She looked confused. "Yeah, where is it coming from?"

I didn't reply, as then, in amongst the flurry of unfamiliar words, I heard my own name – my _real_ name. The voice was calm, yet powerful. Forceful, even.

"It's Miŕa," I realised aloud.

I looked at Reily, and then back up at the statue. I suddenly found myself locking my gaze with its stony eyes, and as I stared, they began to glow blue. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, I heard a great shout in that same strange language, the force of it sent a shockwave through the chamber that seemed to resonate from the statue. The force of the wave knocked both me and Reily onto our backs, and everything went black as I impacted the ground.

It can't have been long before I came to. It didn't feel like any time had passed at all. But maybe it had, because as soon as I opened my eyes, it was obvious I was no longer in the temple.

"Julia, you okay?" I heard Reily's voice immediately to my left.

I blinked a few times and slowly got up onto my knees, trying to get my bearings. Everything seemed blurry for a moment, then I gained my composure and took in my surroundings. My eyes went wide in wonder and confusion.

"Reily, look!" I gently slapped her on the arm to get her attention.

I saw she was about to protest, but then she also noticed the environment we were now in. She looked around in shock, her eyes wide as mine.

"What the hell is this place?" She still seemed to be a little slow, not quite taking everything in. "And what happened to the temple?"

"I don't think we're in the temple anymore."

I stood and turned a slow 360°. We were in another sort of chamber, but this one was very different. We appeared to be standing on thin air. A white, translucent cloud, like steam, licked at our ankles and danced over our feet. The walls, if there were any, also seemed to be formed from this cloud. There was nothing else as far as the eye could see, until I noticed something in the distance.

"What?" I whispered to myself.

I took a hesitant step towards whatever it was I could see. I peered at it harder, trying to make sense of the shapes. As I focused, I recognised something – a picture of something I'd seen before. A blue and white flower. It dawned on me as I watched the picture move and the scene from my childhood that I'd dreamed about months ago played out before my eyes. It looked like it was being projected onto a screen, but of course there was no screen and no projector. Just the visual memory floating on air.

"I think I know where we are," I said.

Reily took a step in the opposite direction to me. "And that would be where exactly?"

"The Elder Spartans used to speak of a place where one could access the recesses of theirs and even others' minds. A hub leading to every connected person's life memories. They said it was a place of smoke and mirrors and blinding light."

"Certainly fits the description." She joined me at my side.

"They're all here – every memory I have." I almost whispered. "This must be what I'm supposed to show you."

"What are you meant to show me?"

"The truth. I need to show you who I am... and who _you _are."

Reily backed away a bit. "Jules, I'm not too sure about this."

"You think I am?"

"No. Do we have to?"

"I think so, Reily."

She sighed in defeat. "Fine. Lead the way then."

I turned back towards my memories and was about to approach them, but hesitated. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths to steady myself. I knew that what we were both about to see and hear would not be pleasant, but there was no turning back now.

"Come on, Alex," I told myself quietly. "It's time to stop running."

I reopened my eyes and stalked confidently towards my memories. I was momentarily thrown off guard as I passed through what must have been the wall of the chamber and into my memory bank. I remembered the Elders calling these halls of memories 'Libraries'. Reily passed through the wall shortly after me.

"Whoa, that was weird." She said to herself.

She must have spotted me, then, as I heard her run to catch up to me. Even though our feet were silent on the non-existent floor, my ears were still sharp enough to pick up the rustle of her clothes as she moved. She came and stood next to me again, staring down the Library in disbelief.

"Don't touch anything without my permission." I warned her. "There are some things you do not need to see."

"Don't worry, wasn't planning on it."

I nodded and began to lead through the halls. As we passed them, I realised that each memory was almost like a one-way mirror with running visuals and sound from the memory it displayed. They seemed to be in counter-chronological order – my most recent memories back to my first. All my memories of Nadiána were the most clear. Reily stared around in silent wonder, following me closely, turning away from some memories that she probably thought I wouldn't want her prying in. The most clear recent memories of all seemed to be Nadiána's birth and aftermath and when Sergeant Sleaze attacked me in my apartment months ago. As we passed each mirror, we heard words – snippets of things people said to me in the memories.

I recognised my own voice crooning over Nadiána when I held her for the first time. Vaughn talking to me as I lay unconscious in the infirmary. Dixon yelling at me as he tried to save me and my baby. Sleaze whispering suggestions in my ear as he brushed his hand along my arm. My own voice again as I held my bear Harvey, Khoul's gift to me. Daegonn's voice with my own as he tortured me in the Stronghold, and the sound of my screaming. A scene from when I was younger, after I'd just arrived at the Citadel. My sister, Sydney, screaming 'No' and jumping in front of a bullet to save me. My own childlike voice with a boy's, a friend, as I said goodbye to him when he moved away from Eàmońn Sô'al. And, finally, my cry of 'Daddy' and my father's laughter.

We continued on past the memories, and I suddenly found my senses cut off momentarily as we passed through a wall and were transferred to another room entirely. Suddenly Reily and I were not longer side to side, but back to back. I looked around the room and recognised my memories floating around, but there were other ones, too. They looked like the same memories, but they were from the wrong perspective. I saw one of a sunlit dessert and realised that they must be Reily's memories.

"What's happening?" I asked Reily, as if she could possibly know the answer.

"I'm not sure." One of her memories floated behind me and past her and I heard a strange young man's voice. I didn't know who he was, but Reily must have. "What's that doing here?"

I realised then what was happening. "It's a memory moot."

"What is that?"

"A commune between two Spartans where they exchange all the memories and experience gained throughout their lives." I gripped my head in both my hands as I could feel it coming on. "No, wait..." I whispered as I heard once again my own screaming. "I don't want her to see this!"

But it was too late; there was no way to halt the moot in its progress. And as the sound of my screaming became louder in my ears, I once again blacked out.

All of my senses were alert as it happened. I could feel that I was lying on the cold stone floor of Temple Miŕa, the faint echo of the crackling sound of the burning cauldrons confirming this. Though I could do nothing but lie there, motionless, as the transfer took place. Suddenly there were many pictures flashing before my eyes in quick succession, I realised what I was seeing, and even hearing, were all of mine and Reily's memories. I knew she would be seeing what I was and I wished I could somehow edit out what she didn't need to see or hear, but there was nothing to be done. The process could only have taken seconds, yet I saw and heard everything clearly, and even after my eyes snapped open to the stone ceiling and the faint light coming in the hole in the stone, everything stuck vividly in my mind.

The quantity of information was overwhelming for a moment, then I managed to pull myself onto my hands and knees. I put a hand to my face and hunched over in despair.

"Gods..." I breathed.

Reily lay still on the stone and pulled shaky breaths through her lips. "Oh... Ben." She whispered.

I let her have a moment before I spoke. "I understand now," I looked over at her. "And you know, too."

Reily nodded, but otherwise didn't move.

"Do you see now?" I asked her.

"Why you never told me?" She clarified. She took my silence as confirmation. "Yes."

"I wanted to be honest with you, but... I had to protect myself. And I wanted to protect you."

"Nothing could have protected me from this." Slowly, she sat up, her breathing under control. "What now?"

"I don't know." I dropped my head and exhaled shakily. A tear fell from my eye and left a dark patch on the stone floor. "I'm sorry. I never wanted you to see that."

"It's fine, you couldn't have known that was going to happen." She stood and stared up at the ceiling for a moment.

I opened my eyes and wiped my right eye with my left hand. As I did this, my Brand caught my attention. I stared closely at it and noticed something had changed. "My Brand, it's different."

"How so?" Reily walked slowly over.

"These six stars weren't there before." I showed her my hand, standing myself.

"Does that mean we're blessed?"

"The six Roles of the Spartans. The Roles that our governed by the Elements."

"So... we slowly build up our power, learning these roles?"

"Yes. We already have access to the first tier of each role from birth, but being blessed allows us to access the others."

"What about my other memories?"

"They've been unlocked. Touch the walls around you and you will find them."

Reily turned and started scrutinising the walls of the chamber. Her eyes rested on a drawing to her right and she peered hard at it. I looked at it also and found it to be a depiction of myself and my sister as children.

"Sydney?" Reily muttered.

Reily approached the wall hesitantly with an outstretched hand. From where I stood, I could see her Brand light up, the blue glow creeping through her hair. Her hand touched the stone for only a moment before she recoiled. It appeared that the transfer of information was just as fast as before. I wondered how such a thing could be possible. Then again, we were here.

"I don't want to go see Theresa," Reily said suddenly.

"We must. There's something I need to ask her."

"Fine."

I turned then and lead the way back towards the tunnel where we had come in. As we both entered the darkness, the fires lighting the chamber went out behind us. I conjured a flame in my hand again, noticing with my sharp eyes that the flame was slightly more intense than before. The darkness continued on, then suddenly opened up as we approached the door and we arrived back in the Snowy Mountains. The great stone doors closed slowly behind us and seemingly vanished into the rock. I snapped my fingers and the flame disappeared. I turned towards Aisháa who was still waiting faithfully for me and pulled myself into her saddle. Reily followed suit.

"Which direction are we heading in?" She called over the noise of the wind that was starting to pick up.

"South. Hyah!" I dug my heels into Aisháa's flank and we took off down the path.


	24. The Weight of the Worlds

23. The Weight of the Worlds

As soon as we arrived back at the Citadel after our visit to Theresa many hours later, everyone was eager to hear about the things we had discovered. But talk would have to wait, as Reily and I were both in need of medical attention. Then once we were finished in Dixon's office, he came with us down to the Conference Room where everyone else was waiting to listen to our story. Reily and I were both still overwhelmed from the absolute plethora of information that had been put before us. I still had the ability to focus on the moment, but when I looked over at Reily, I saw that she was far away. Completely lost in her thoughts and memories.

Instead of taking our usual places around the table, I stood at the end opposite to Caprine so we had a clear view of everyone. Reily followed absently and stood by my side. I looked around at the others and saw the many questions in their eyes. Kindly, they held their tongues while Reily and I searched in our heads for a way to begin. At least I was, I had a feeling Reily was still unaware of her surroundings.

"Reily," I murmured to her softly, knowing she would hear.

She did hear and she jerked her head up and her eyes focused. "Sorry," She said. "I was miles away."

I nodded knowingly and we sat down together and the group mimicked us. I thought about speaking when Reily beat me to it.

"Well, where do we start?" She seemed to be asking herself more than the others.

"How about with what happened at the Temple?" Corlina prompted. I hadn't actually realised she was there.

"Well, I guess Julia would have to explain that. I still don't understand most of it."

She was still calling me 'Julia'. It made me sad.

"Okay," My tone was nervous and I swallowed. "When Reily and I approached the statue of Miŕa, we were knocked unconscious and awoke in some kind of chamber which I'm now certain was the Matrix."

Vaughn and Nico exchanged a worried glance and Dixon's eyebrows furrowed. They knew what I was talking about, they'd heard it before.

"We then witnessed every one of each other's memories and learned the truth."

"The truth about what?" Corlina asked.

Reily stood and held her arms out for everyone to see; the words were clearly etched into her skin. "That I am the Prophet Child from the scriptures."

"_Sáovè, váise's_," Caprine whispered.

"Also..." Reily continued. "I'm Julia's half-sister. We share the same mother, but I don't know who my father is and neither does she."

I saw Vaughn look down, avoiding Reily's gaze. I remembered the short conversation they'd had in the infirmary. When I was lying there unconscious all those months ago.

"My Gods," Nico's eyes were wide. "Julia, you never mentioned any of this."

"Not to you, no," I clarified. "It was safer, for you, if you didn't know. But it can't be avoided now. I had hoped that Reily would never return here and she would be spared."

"Return?" Dixon questioned.

Reily and I looked at each other, as together we prepared to recount our meeting with Theresa.

Bloody and exhausted from our fight with a pack of wolufs, we trudged up to the door of Theresa's little abode in the middle of the woods. We stopped in front of it and looked at each other.

"Should I knock or you?" Reily asked.

I just stood and waited a moment longer.

"Enter." Came Theresa's voice from inside the house.

I turned the handle and threw open the door, striding in like I owned the place. "Theresa?" I demanded.

Reily came in after me, shutting the door with much less force than I had opened it. As she looked around, I saw that she recognised the place instantly. Nothing would have changed much since her childhood. She mumbled to herself in wonder as her eyes took everything in. Eventually, Theresa emerged from the back of the house and stood before us.

"Welcome, Julia and Reily," Her ancient, wispy voice addressed us.

"Hello, Theresa," Reily replied.

I said nothing.

"It has been many years since I saw you last," She continued. "You have grown well." She turned to me. "And I see Julia has now, finally, imparted you with the knowledge that you are meant to discuss with me now."

"I would have done so sooner, but there was a delay." I said.

"Indeed."

"Why couldn't you tell me," Reily demanded. "And why did you have to wipe my memory?"

"Such things were necessary at the time. Necessary to ensure your safety in plausible deniability."

"Plausible deniability? Is this a joke?! Did our mother know about what you planned to do?"

The fact that Reily said 'our mother' threw me off-guard for a moment. Again, I was astonished at how quickly she had accepted the truth.

"It was your mother's plan." Theresa continued.

Reily was getting annoyed. "How the hell did she know what I was?

"You were born with those marks on your arms, but when I removed your memories, the words disappeared from view."

"What words?"

Theresa nodded subtly at Reily's arms. Reily and I both looked down and saw what Theresa meant. There on her arms were the words "Prophet Child" in the ancient tongue of the Spartans. I couldn't read it, but I already knew what they said. Reily gasped as she raised her arms and the words became clear to her.

"What the...?"

"Probably forgot to mention that," I mumbled. "Sorry."

Reily gave me an incredulous look. "Forgot to mention... are you serious?!"

"Reily, calm down."

"How can I be calm about this when you said it might not happen?!" She showed me her arms. "This just sets it in stone!"

I kept my cool. "The _Prophecy_ may not happen, but you are still the Prophet Child, nothing will change that."

"Why am I the Prophet Child?! What is so special about the Prophet Child besides being the back-up plan?"

"Aside from being the 'back-up plan'," Theresa interjected. "You are also the one who is destined to protect 'Plan-A'. The Age of Unity. The re-joining of the two worlds that were once one. 'The eight Champions will merge into the four Heroes and bring unity to the world of Sudeki once again' so it is said in the scriptures of Tetsu himself."

Reily took a moment to respond. "How am I going to be able to protect eight people?"

"More specifically, one particular person of the eight. The one the Spartans privately referred to as The Chosen One. But openly, she was known as The Special One." Theresa looked at me.

I recognised the title, 'The Special One', from when I was a child. The adults in Eàmońn Sô'al had sometimes called me that. I had thought it was just a pet name. I'd never realised until now it could have meant something more.

"What?" I demanded.

Reily looked at me as well. "You."

"No," I turned to Theresa. "This is what you were keeping from me?"

"Necessary."

"Necessary my arse," Reily growled under her breath.

I walked right up to Theresa and grabbed her by the arms. "Is this why Sydney died? Tell me!"

"Sydney Bristow died believing she had saved her sister. What she did not know was that she died to save her race."

I exhaled shakily and released Theresa. Behind me I heard Reily whimper and move her arms.

"My sister died for nothing." I almost whispered.

"Your sister died for her people."

Abruptly I was furious. "Our people are dead! There's nothing left of us!"

"No. This is what you have been led to believe, but not what is."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"She's not dead." Reily mumbled to herself, but it was loud enough for me to hear.

"Don't even say that, Reily," I snapped. "I saw her gunned down in front of me!"

Reily didn't respond, she just backed away and hugged herself.

"The past, however, is not now relevant," Theresa persisted. "You both have a job to do."

"A job? I'm sorry, I didn't sign up for any of this shit!" Reily came closer.

"We don't have a choice, Reily," I said the words as I realised them myself. "There is no one else."

"What am I meant to do? I'm fucking useless compared to the rest of you. You lot are always protecting me, how am I meant to protect you?!"

"Because you now have powers that they do not! We can't die, Reily, think about what that means!"

"This is insane!"

"We are the only hope."

She did think for a moment. I saw her contemplating everything in her head. I knew how overwhelming, how incomprehensible this must be for her. It was like that for me, too.

"Do you really think we can do this?"

"Yes."

I was adamant. I'd made my choice. If there was nothing else left worth fighting for, I would fight for this.

Reily calmed down and a determined look crossed her face. "Okay. But we do this together."

After we left Theresa's house and made our way back out into the woods to find the horses, Reily turned to me.

"Julia?"

Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I faced her. "Yes?"

"There's just one thing I saw in the temple... I think I know what it means, but I want to hear it from you."

I knew by her tone exactly the question she was going to ask me. She took my silence and my level expression as permission to ask.

"Daegonn," She began. "Is he...?"

"Yes," I confirmed. "He is my father."

Around us, I saw everyone's eyes growing wider, their faces more shocked as they listened to our story. I could see that all of this was as incomprehensible to them as it was to us. Reily continued without hesitation, beginning to tell them her part in all of this.

"Before all of this happened, I lived with Theresa in the mountains. As I grew I watched... Julia and Sydney growing up in Eàmońn Sô'al. On the day it burned, Theresa erased my memories and my Prophet Child Brands. She sent me to Earth where I... endured Markus."

Jasonali was cautious. "What do you mean endured?"

"As I have told you all, I lived in Ireland with Markus. He was my adoptive father and he had eight other children." She paused. "Here is what you _don't_ know. I was the youngest of the nine of us. Markus was a heavy drinker at the best of times. He had seen my Spartan brand and abused me for it."

"How did he 'abuse' you?" Corlina asked.

I gave Corlina a warning glare, not wanting Reily to have to go into too much detail with her explanation. Through our convergence of memories earlier, I had seen what Markus had done to 'abuse' Reily, and it was not something anyone needed to hear about. Even so, Reily moved away from her chair, turned and bravely lifted the back of her shirt to show everyone the numerous scars.

"Gods!" Corlina exclaimed.

Everyone else just stared, their expressions empathetic. We had all known pain like this. Reily pulled her shirt down again and sat down, tears in her eyes.

"I only made it out of there because of Benjamin. One day I ran from the house after I had regained consciousness. He found me, told me his parents owned the local pub. Once he figured out that I lived with Markus, he vowed to take care of me. I slowly started spending more and more time with him while he worked at the pub. He was the one who discovered my talent.

"On that day, Markus came in to the pub early. When he saw me, he sent me home and then once he returned he abused me. He... whipped me, shot me and... stabbed me with a hot prong." She began to sob openly at reliving the awful memory. "Ben came in and saved me before Markus could kill me. Soon after I recovered, his parents sent us to America."

"Where she found the portal," I concluded.

Reily broke down in tears and leaned against my shoulder. I held her tightly and whispered words of comfort, trying to calm her down.

"Julia, if I may ask," Corlina said softly. "What is the significance of Reily being the Prophet Child?"

"You've all read the scriptures – the Prophet Child was said to be the 'second sign', the Plan-B in case the Age of Unity didn't come to pass. The Child was destined to save Sudeki if the Eight Champions could not."

"You mean...?" Corlina made a subtle gesture of her hand across her throat.

I nodded slowly. "Yes." There was a short silence. "But it doesn't have to be that way. Reily says she knows who the eight are."

"Who are they, Reily?" Caprine questioned. 

Reily, having calmed down, lifted her head from my shoulder and faced the group. "Julia, Vaughn, Nico, Dixon. They are the four to join with four others. Their shadows, I think."

"Haskilia," Caprine said. "Our sister world."

"It has to be," I agreed.

"It is," Reily confirmed. "I saw it in a vision."

"What... vision?" Corlina asked.

Reily bit her lip, unsure how to answer. So I did the honours for her.

"Reily saw a vision of the Prophecy when we... exchanged memories. A vision of what was to come."

"It's one of my gifts. In times of need, the Gods will allow me to see a vision of the future whether I want to or not."

"You are the one, then." Caprine said.

"I'm doomed to die to save the worlds."

"No, you're not," I told her. "There is still Plan-A." I looked around at the others. "There's still us."

"I don't believe it." Dixon muttered.

"Why would the Gods choose us?" Nico wondered.

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Reily's expression go blank. I turned to her and saw that her eyes were darting back and forth. I knew what was happening.

"Reily?" Corlina turned to me. "What is happening to her?"

"Shh! Reily, what do you see?"

Her eyes stopped darting and she gripped her head with one hand. She seemed a little unsteady and her voice had a strange tone. "Ah, I saw... battles. You four, and your shadows. Each of you have fought battles many others would have lost."

"I still don't understand," Vaughn spoke for the first time. "Why us? What makes us so special?"

Reily looked at Vaughn before her eyes began to dart again. "All of you have a connection to the past Champions. Also because you have forged such connections with each other. That is why it is you four." Then she leaned against my side once more, looking weak.

"Enough," I said. "We don't know how dangerous this could be." 

"But, Alex—"

"Vaughn." I put my arm around Reily's shoulders protectively.

Reily cringed and looked at me. "I think I can handle one more. They deserve that much." She looked at Vaughn and smiled. "Go ahead."

"If we do this... will it work? Will we unite the worlds?"

Reily's eyes began to dart even faster than before. As she spoke the answer, her voice seemed to almost echo. "As of this moment, the answer is yes. But time can change and so will all of you." Her eyes stopped moving and she fell against my side, barely conscious.

"Alright, enough," I concluded. "Dixon, meet us in the infirmary. 

"Will do."

"Jason, help me."

He nodded and walked over to Reily's chair. He put his arms under her and carefully lifted her up, cradling her against his chest. I walked with him towards the infirmary.

"Jason, I'm fine, really." She protested weakly.

Jason smiled. "Just go to sleep, Reily." She looked like she was about to argue when she fell unconscious. "I hope this doesn't turn into a bad omen."

"Everything's a bad omen at this point."

"I still can't believe all of this."

"I know."

Jason growled, a deep sound in his throat as he laid Reily gently down on a gurney. "If I ever meet this Markus guy, I'm gonna rip his throat out."

I sat down in a chair against the wall and put a hand to my head, which I now realised was pounding with fierce intensity.

"Do you think it's just an energy drain that has Reily like this or... something else?" Jason asked me.

My reply was weary. "I don't know."

"You should rest, too. I can tell that you are about as drained as she is."

"I'm fine, focus on her."

Corlina appeared on her pedestal. "Dixon is on his way. I have scanned Reily and it appears she is merely exhausted. Some rest and she'll be fine."

Dixon entered and gave Reily a quick look over.

"So?" Jason asked.

"She's fine physically, just tired."

"When do you think she'll wake up?"

"My guess is approximately ten hours," Corlina replied. 

"When she's ready," Dixon said.

"Julia, you can use the bed behind you if you'd like. So you can stay here with Reily."

I didn't reply, just breathed deeply, then finally couldn't take it anymore. I sighed and stood. "I need some air," I said before fleeing the room.

I went out onto one of the little balconies that were dotted around the outside of the Keep. Breathing in the cold night air helped with the pounding in my head, but it didn't help with the whirlwind of emotions that was now taking over me. Jason came out before long to make sure I was okay. I just brushed him off until he left. I just wanted to be alone. Alone with my fears and doubts and the horrifying realisation that my past had caught up to me. It was right behind me now, nipping at my heels like a dog to cattle. I had known I couldn't run from it forever, eventually my legs would tire. But I would spend as long as I could trying.

Just about bang on to Corlina's prediction of ten hours later, I was in the infirmary, standing on the far side of the room across from Reily's bed. I was looking at her sadly, wondering how all of this could have happened. I'd known for years I'd had a half-sister and now here she was. The only living remnant of the family I'd once had. Would I lose her now after only just getting her back? As if answering my thoughts, Reily stirred and opened her eyes slowly. I didn't move as she woke, I just watched her. Eventually she spotted me.

"Jules... what happened?"

"You passed out," I walked over and sat in the chair next to her bed. "You'd had a hell of a day."

Reily sighed and rubbed her head. "_Tétsü, yarèpihö náime gâceki_."

"Yeah."

"What exactly did I say? I don't remember much."

"You were telling us why we were chosen."

"Did I make any sense?"

"Some."

She looked around. "Where's Dixon gone?"

"He left about an hour ago."

I was only answering her questions absentmindedly. My head was still in yesterday's events. They had answered a few of my questions, but raised even more. I knew that if I asked them of Reily I would get an answer, but after seeing what her 'power' had done to her before, I kept my mouth shut. Reily must have been there as well, judging by her next question.

"Do you think stuff like that will happen often?"

"I certainly hope not."

"Maybe it will become easier for me to handle as I get used to my powers.

"Maybe."

"They still have questions... don't they?" She looked a little worried.

"Don't worry, they'll be keeping their questions to themselves."

"But that's not fair to them, Julia. They deserve to have answers."

"Well they'll have to find them somewhere else, because what isn't fair is to burden you further."

She shook her head. "It's not a burden. It's just... tiring."

"You carry the weight of the worlds on your shoulders, Reily. It seems now we all do."

"Then everyone needs to be on the same page. And if that means I need to answer their questions then so be it."

"Reily, please." My tone was resolute; there was no way I was going to let her do this.

"Julia, how would you feel if you were them? You and I both know what is going on and what is going to happen. They don't. We should at least give them some closure." She reached out and took my hand and I welcomed it. "I'm sure it will be easier this time... if it even works."

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"Just one question. Is that okay with you? They can all decide on a question and see how it goes."

I sighed deeply and gave Reily a frustrated look. None of this was okay with me.

"Don't look at me like that. What is the point of having this gift if I don't use it?"

"Because it's not a gift, Reily, try to understand that."

She frowned. "I know that being the Prophet Child is a curse, Jules. But the powers I have received with that title are gifts. I should use them to their full potential!" 

"Use what to its full potential?" Dixon asked.

I hadn't even heard or seen him come in. But he stood at the end of Reily's bed with one eyebrow raised, looking between both of us.

"Nothing," I said.

Reily glared at me and gave an irritated sigh. "Hey, Dixon," She looked at him with a small smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"Still a little tired but fine otherwise. How long was I out?"

"Ten hours,"

I noticed he said this with slight reservation which made me think he was just a little bit annoyed that Corlina's prediction was spot on. I smiled at the thought.

"Wow," Reily continued. "It really did a number on me, then." She rubbed the back of her head.

"Yes."

"Is it okay for me to leave?"

"Not yet, Reily."

"Okay."

She laid back down against the pillow without arguing, something that was odd for her. Then I noticed her expression and realised she was just trying to give Dixon a break and do as she was told. There she was with her arms folded and her mouth in a hard line, using all of her restraint to keep from protesting.

I genuinely laughed at Reily's attempt to be patient. And I laughed even harder when she demanded to know what was so funny. I almost fell off my chair. Even though she had tried to keep an even expression, I could tell that she wasn't happy about being couped up in the infirmary for any length of time, just like she always was.

Even though I didn't get around to telling Reily what was so hilarious, she joined in with my laughter, rare an event as it was. Dixon couldn't help but smirk at both of us. As I experienced this moment of clarity, it comforted me to know that even when so much was changing in the world, there were some things that never would.


	25. Epilogue

Epilogue

I could smell the reeking stench of death and decay before I even rounded the corner. The salty smell of the ocean followed not long after. The gate was locked, as usual. I hopped down off of Aisháa's back to unlock it, let her through, and close and lock it behind us again. Lord Mewsley had given us the key to the village long ago when we'd helped them out of a tight spot. He only gave the key out to people he trusted. I replaced it safely in its leather wrap now and stashed it in the little pouch that hung from my belt.

I pulled the reins over Aisháa's head and led her over to a tethering post near Mewsley's manor. I tied the reins securely to the post and gave her an affectionate pat on the nose before she started nibbling at the weeds that grew on the sides of the path. I continued down the cobblestone path, and around a short bend past the cemetery stood Crystal Reef's town centre. I pulled my hood down further over my eyes and sauntered through the coastal village. A silent figure of black, moving lithely. An unseen shadow in the darkness.

As I turned a corner around one of the ruined buildings, I saw my target. The blacksmith stood before me, warm yellow candlelight streaming from the open front of the workshop. He was waiting for me out the front, swathed in black as I was with a hood over his eyes. I approached my contact casually, but cautiously and indirectly. I stood by his side, near to him, but not too close. He didn't acknowledge my presence but I knew he'd seen me. I stared out to the black ocean as he was.

"Lovely breeze, isn't it?" I began the friendlies exchange.

He turned his head in my direction; I could only see from the tip of his nose down under the hood. "It is if you like the smell of dead fish," He finished. "Good to see you, Julia."

"You too, Giorno." I also turned my head to face him. "Do you have the information I requested?"

"I do." He produced an envelope, one of those big yellow ones. "Everything you need to know is contained inside."

"Thank you."

"My only regret is that this business exchange was so short. I hope that in the future we can work more closely together."

"I would wish nothing more, my friend. Farewell to you."

"And to you, dear Julia."

I hid the envelope away inside my jacket and turned away from him, smiling.

It was late morning by the time I got back to the Citadel. No one had seemed to notice my short absence, except Vaughn who had been watching Nadia for me. After I had put Nadia down for her nap in the early afternoon, Reily came into the apartment. She seemed a lot happier these days. Probably due to the relief of finally knowing the truth about herself. She greeted me heartily.

"Hey, Julia." She made a face. "Do you want me to keep calling you Julia or should I call you Alexine now?"

"Julia's probably safer, but I don't mind either way." I smiled.

She nodded. "Did you just put Nadia to sleep?"

"Yeah." I patted the couch next to me. "What's up?"

She sat down. "I was just wondering where you'd been all day. I mean, I know you have a lot to do but I like to know what my sister is up to." She chuckled.

I grinned. "Dammit, here I was thinking I'd gotten away with it. I went to meet with a contact."

Reily made an 'oh' face. "Right. What about?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "You remember when we saw Theresa? Do you recall what she said about 'This is what you have been led to believe, but not what is'?"

"Yeah, I remember. That was before I said..." She bit her lip, clearly not wanting to remind me of what she said and encourage my anger again.

"Well, I've been thinking about it ever since, and something occurred to me a little while ago. Could Theresa possibly have meant exactly what she said? That we have been led to believe our race has been destroyed, but this is not the case?"

"Could be, who knows? Theresa won't give us any more answers, that's for sure."

"That's what I thought. So I did some digging." I pulled out the enveloped Giorno gave me. "An old friend has looked into it for me, and I think... he may have found an Eàmońn Sô'al survivor."

Reily looked shocked. "Really? That's great."

I pulled out the envelope's contents and placed them on the coffee table in front of Reily. There was a hand-written document and two photographs. The document was the information my contact had recorded from his sources. One of the photographs was of an elaborate-looking sword, the other was the face of a young man clad in dark clothing.

"His name is Leáu Naselé," I told Reily, showing her the photo. "He is seen making sojourns into Crystal Reef once every two months, then he returns north. From what my contact can gather, he lives somewhere in the vicinity of the desert surrounding Durani-Mo."

"Right. So what's the plan from here?" Reily's face was serious now – all business.

"When he's in Crystal Reef, he goes to Kamo's to collect supplies, then he goes to the blacksmith's to have his weapon serviced. My contact managed to get a photo of this weapon." I showed it to her. "See the fold-back mechanism and the small symbol at the hilt?"

She read the symbol and nodded. "That's a Spartan blade. I don't know how it would be pronounced, but that's what the symbol reads as."

"It's called a _Hkzigzm_ blade. It's said that only a Spartan can wield this weapon."

"When is this Leáu meant to be back in Crystal Reef?"

"I don't plan to meet him in Crystal Reef, it's too public. I plan to find wherever it is he's hiding and go there."

Reily looked down at the ground as she thought for a moment. "Maybe I can help find him. You remember how I react when asked certain questions? Maybe we can word a question so that I can tell you where Leáu is."

"No. We'll find him the old-fashioned way."

She nodded, obviously not wanting to argue with me about her 'ability'. "Okay. Is there anything you want me to do?"

"I want you to come with me. This concerns you as well, and I doubt he'll be friendly so I'll need the back-up."

She looked slightly worried, but nodded once. "Alright. When do you plan on leaving?"

"Tonight."

As it turned out, we did find Leáu Naselé the old-fashioned way, and the reception we received was no less hostile than I had predicted. At just after midnight, we were making our way through the woods having followed a trail in, and eventually set sights upon a shape in the darkness. It looked like a small mud hut or something of the sort. There didn't appear to be anyone home.

"So this is the place?" Reily whispered.

"Looks like it."

Neither of us heard the Spartan approaching before he was upon us. In two swift movements, he had his arm around my chest and a knife to my throat. I was left feeling uneasy and a little frightened at being so taken by surprise. Reily drew her sword and pointed it at my captor.

"Wait, wait!" I almost pleaded.

"Who are you people?" His voice was deep and smooth with a distinct Spartan accent.

"Reily, stand down."

Reily glared at him, but lowered her sword as I'd asked.

"Answer me, fast!" He demanded.

"Left hand," I told him. "Remove the glove from my left hand!"

I felt him hesitate, but his curiosity got the better of him and he pulled the black leather glove off to reveal my Spartan Brand. I heard him gasp so quietly that Reily couldn't have heard.

"What trickery is this?"

"It is not a trick, I swear to you. We're Spartans, both of us."

Reily sheathed her weapon and half-turned, pulling back her hair to show him her own Brand.

"This... is not possible." His tone was soft for a moment from the shock, then he was aggressive again. "How did you find me here?"

"I have a source in Crystal Reef."

"Who are you?"

"My name's Alexine Bristow. I'm from Eàmońn Sô'al, just like you. I survived, too."

"I'm her half-sister, Reily Bristow."

"Bristows?" He asked.

"Yes," I replied.

I understood his reaction to our surname. Before the war, and many centuries before that, the Bristow family was one of the most respected amongst Spartans. We were called 'the house of the First Lord', the First Lord being a Spartan who lived more than a thousand years ago, before the Age of Separation. It was said that he was personal advisor to Nenÿa – the very first of our kind. Leáu Naselé must have been old enough to know of the great reverence and respect that was once held for our name.

Reily's stance was submissive, her arms spread. "Are you willing to lower the knife and listen to us?"

The Spartan appeared to be non-plussed as he hesitated, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"I know how impossible this seems," I said. "But you must believe what we say. We're the Spartans' only hope, Leáu."

I hoped that calling him by his name would not make him more apprehensive. I was glad to see that it had the opposite effect when he at least released me from his deadly iron grip. Reily and I both breathed a sigh of relief as I returned to her side and faced him, throwing back my hood.

He appraised me. "You don't look very much like a Bristow."

"Take away the contact lenses and the hair dye and I do," I explained. "I've had my identity changed to keep myself hidden."

"Smart." I wasn't entirely sure whether he was commending me or being sarcastic.

"I really don't think we should discuss this in the open," Reily said.

Leáu looked uncertain at this.

"I understand your reluctance, but Reily's right, we can't be seen out here."

"No," He agreed. "Follow me... and don't try anything."

With great effort, he turned his back to us and led in the direction of his hut. I looked at Reily and grinned as we followed confidently behind.


	26. Glossary of Ônaleüriáek

Glossary of Ônaleüriáek (Aklorian) terms

_Aèlgío_ The Eagle, another name for the Demigoddess Olivitess

_Câlêvînoüruó taheówi?_ What's that go to do with it?/What relevance does that have?

_D' tainé_ Don't/Don't do it

_Dǽg eyaî raihè, waótechi raîorè _Watch our backs, and keep a close eye on her

_Dáusè_ Bastard (slang)

_Dähéolic Taréapih_ Prophet Child

_Eîgathèi _Earthling

_Esàs saisëk_ Kiss my ass

_Gâce râtehi raiòlé_ You're a motherfucking liar

_Kahéunitö_ Thank you/Thanks

_Káocëdi táihe!_ Hit the deck!

_Khül tânetíecocü dǽm!_ Khoul made contact!

_Láolê taheówi?_ What the hell was that?

_Láolê ilà káoce_ Fuck it all to hell!

_Laólèhi yaleú _Bloody hell (slang)

_Láolewî_ Well done/good job/good work/well met (slang)

_N'ráimèo ráusëpiàido_ No more despair

_Nǽd'ne váihe, s'am sahéit'n _You haven't done anything, this one's on me

_Nǽd taheówî _What have I done?

_Náopepiùh láolê waihê?_ How the hell did this happen?

_Rahéowîu náise_ Son of a whore

_Raisèô _Sure/sure thing

_Réily, káoce fâere_ Go fuck yourself, Reily

_Sáe_ Yes/yeah/yep/yessir/as you wish (slang)

_Sáovè_ Gods/Divines

_Sáovè, váise's_ Gods save us

_Taré _Trot

_Tétsü, yarèpihö náime gâceki_ Fucking Tetsu and his damn prophecy

_Tétsü,_ _T'saléiôcu_ Tetsu, that was too close

_Waihê'y, Aisháa_? _Sarëoùmid dǽig_? How are you, Aisháa? Have you had good dreams?

_Waine, Cǽnefî Láole!_ Conference Hall, now!


	27. Glossary of Sudekian Beasts

Glossary of Sudekian beasts

Arconite - Insect-like humanoid creatures with a hard outer shell like body armor. It wields a double-ended blade as a one-handed weapon and is capable of attacking from range. It has the ability to use lesser forms of magic and can cast Curse on its opponents, causing them to take double damage.

Reptuffalo – A large passive creature that seems to resemble both a mammoth and a bull. They are hunted for their meat, tusks, fur and leather. Their population in Akloria has dropped greatly since the beginning of the darkness.

Scribe - A snake-like creature that has two arms and four heads. It attacks with laser eyes on one head that can deal a large amount of damage and is a mainly defensive creature. It has the ability to summon large homing bomb-like balls of Lightning magic that will explode upon impact, causing a moderate amount of damage and stunning the opponent. It also has the ability to summon Arconites and Wyrd Lords to come to its aid as well as cast Boost on itself and summoned Arconites, causing them to deal double damage. It is challenging to kill.

Woluf - A large brown-gray wolf-like creature. It attacks with its muzzle and paws and is relatively fast-moving.

(Woluf) Pack Leader - A large red wolf-like creature that is slightly larger than a Woluf. It attacks with its muzzle and paws and is relatively fast-moving. It has the ability to cast Haste on the pack, causing them to move at double speed.

Wyrd Lord - A large dragon-like humanoid creature that has two heads. It wields a large metal mace that deals a great amount of damage. It has the ability to use greater forms of Earth magic and can deal devastating amounts of damage. It is challenging to kill.


End file.
